Another Adorable Animal Book

Well, perhaps adorablity is subjective. And it could also be noted that Gappers are not found in any reputable wildlife guides. But The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip written by George Saunders and illustrated by Lane Smith is extremely charming, and does involve some animals (even if a few are very made-up).

This is the story of goats, children, child labor, blessings, tradition, ingenuity, and gappers: burr-like creatures that so love goats, that whenever they get near a goat, "it gives off a continual high-pitched happy shriek of pleasure that makes it impossible for the goat to sleep." This is not usually good for goats or those who depend upon goats for their livelyhood. So the children of the three households of Frip spend their nights picking the Gappers off the goats and dumping them back into the sea.

But the Gappers get smarter and gang up on the house of Capable and her widowed father. See how Capable deals with the Gappers, her goats, her neighbors, her father and her incredible ammount of lost sleep!

The story is very endearing and the illustrations are stunning.