Mother Goose's Second Interview

Two eighth grade children from a local grade school come to interview Mother Goose in her little cottage in Storyland. The children have never met Mother Goose before and are a little apprehensive. Mother Goose invites them into her living room, puts them at ease, and offers them milk and special cookies shaped like black cows. Lennie, the school paper photographer and audio recorder, takes Mother Goose's picture and starts the recorder. Kim, the editor of the newspaper, starts the interview with questions about Little Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks. Mother Goose knows both girls and their families very well. She tells them all about the two families. In telling the stories, Mother Goose conveys the importance of courtesy, consideration, diet, health, the food groups, work, goals, courage, The Golden Rule, and kindness. When she tells the story about The Cow That Jumped Over The Moon, the reason for the cookies being shaped like cows is clear. The children leave with a big box of cookies for their class, a good article and photograph for their paper, and having made a friend who is very different from them.

Gerda Brien Cristal was born in St. Louis, Missouri and now resides in Los Altos Hills, California. She is an educator and illustrator. Mother of two sons, Gerda has illustrated many other children's books, including "A Bunny Named Easter", "Elizabeth's Story", "Andrew's Bold Adventure" and "An Interview with Mother Goose."