Three Good Deeds is a little book with a big message. Howard, caught harassing the geese near an old woman rumored to be a witch’s house, is turned into a goose, and told that he will not return to his human form until he performs three good deeds. Howard quickly learns that doing good things for the sake of good things is nothing like true kindness.

Howard’s struggle to learn kindness and forgiveness is related in language that will be easy for most students in the mid-to-upper elementary grades. Along with the message of what kindness should be, there’s a fascinating look at the lives of geese.

This book would be good for predicting, with students stopping at the end of each chapter to discuss what could happen next, and problem solving – After all, what “good deeds” can a goose perform?