The Wandering Goose: A Modern Fable of How Love Goes

For the goose and bug that fall in love in this quietly moving story from debut talents Earnhardt and Clements, a happy ending isn’t in the cards—at least, not as a couple. Published for adults, though appropriate for younger readers, the story follows the animals from happy days of reading poetry and chasing fireflies to their eventual breakup (“The majestic Mississippi is calling me,” Goose tells Bug). Clements’s illustrations suggest a combination of Beatrix Potter, Art Nouveau botanical designs, and Japanese prints as she pairs Bug and Goose’s love with bursts of carrots, spring peas, and nasturtiums; their separation with heavy autumn storms; and Bug’s eventual rebound with the floral bounty of summer. (Sept.)