Such a silly and fun book. The rhyming was super cute and the ending unexpected. Who knew the troll and billy goat were friends! Definitely recommend when looking for sing songy rhyming.

Birthday Blunders

A sweet attempt to celebrate their Grandma’s birthday. The Goats get put through some grueling trials on their way to Grandma’s. I definitely think this book would be a story time hit filled with giggles and gasps.

The illustration on this journey makes it an immersive experience. It expertly takes you through the hiccups and blunders.

I received a free copy of this book from Lezlie Evans (Author), Julia Patton (Illustrator) and Two Lions. I am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars

This was silly and fun, I had a good time with the rhymes. The troll illustration was ADORABLE. This was funny and goofy and silly, fun to read aloud.

I really enjoyed reading this story. It was cute, it was funny, and it rhyming throughout. Which made it perfect to help my kids learn rhyming in a story book setting. In Goat’s Afloat, five goats go on a trip in a canoe to bring their granny a cake to avoid the bridge and the troll. In the end they meet and make friends with the troll while having delivered the cake. The plot and illustrations were so well done and kept my kids engaged throughout.

I really enjoyed this one! I love a book with a solid and consistent rhyme scheme so this was perfect for me. I think the length was perfect; not too many words per page and a very engaging story. I could definitely see myself using this book at Storytime or an Outreach program.

Colorful and fun play on the Billy Goats Gruff and Troll tale. Perfectly silly as the goats travel to Granny's for her birthday, with cake! This would be a great read at storytime. There are lots of details in the illustrations for kids (and adults!) to catch on each re-read. Thanks to NetGalley and Two Lions for the eARC

I loved Goats Afloat! Very cute story and great illustrations! Hilarious, action driven story of goats trying to make it their grandmother's house for her birthday. I loved the joke tie-in to The Three Billy Goats Gruff at the end. Will definitely be recommending this for our summer reading program 2025.

This book has colorful and fun illustrations. And I loved that the story rhymes, it’s always more fun to read aloud a rhyming story. The ending was cute as well.

The goats want to visit Granny and bring her a cake for her birthday but it seems they will need to take quite a journey to get to her. With stunning illustrations that show the adventure and fun rhymes to read, this is sure to become a family favourite. I enjoyed the little Easter eggs hidden in the pictures but I do think some of the words were a bit too big for smaller kids (although that is how they learn). A lovely book with a lovely message.

Thank you to Two Lions and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is just as funny as I predicted from the title. The goat family wants to bring a cake to the grandma for her birthday but they're afraid to cross the bridge with the toll, so they take a boat out == and things do not go as planned. This is a sweet, funny story with a wonderful ending. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

Once in a while, your family encounters a silly story that will keep you and your kids laughing. Goats Afloat is one of those books. Five goats go through a series of unfortunate events in their loving plan to be with granny goat on her birthday. Along the way, they make bad decisions that only worsen with their clumsiness. Our son was hooked and greatly surprised by the big twist at the end.

The illustration is playful and dreamlike—even the bridge troll looks cute! The drawings perfectly match the engaging storyline, and the words are simple and easy to read for the intended age group.

The story teaches us about the lengths we go to make our loved ones happy. The goats also showed determination to accomplish what they started—no matter how silly it may seem.

If your kids like funny stories (and probably goats), Goats Afloat is an excellent addition to your collection.

These goats try bringing a cake to Granny for their birthday, but face several obstacles along the route. While one goat worries on how they will get there, another is self-assured and adapts to a new route. Ultimately, the goats arrive at Granny’s to discover it was not about the cake at all and that the barriers in their path were not as fraught as they had expected. Though the rhyming scheme and character phrase repetition does create a silly and fun story, some of the rhymes seemed to inform the plot more than the plot informed the rhymes. Overall a fun crew of goats to read about.

Cute and funny picture book about a group of goats that go on an adventure down a river to deliver a birthday cake to their grandma. Feels like a classic fairytale, but subverts expectations in the end with a lovely happy ending. I love the paint-style art, and colours!

A wonderfully illustrated children's book for kids of all ages. Five goats set off to deliver a cake to granny goat and an exciting adventure unfolds. As the goats set off in a canoe through the rapids in order to avoid a scary troll, their plans go awry. When they finally arrive at Granny's, they are greeted by an unlikely guest at the birthday party. An adorable story for the little ones.

4 Stars

Children’s Fiction

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this advanced reader copy of Goats Afloat by Lezlie Evans- in exchange for an honest review.

Goats Afloat is a cute and beautifully illustrated story about 5 goats who go on a boat with a cake headed to granny’s house. Full of rhyming words and adventure- this one should definitely catch the eye and imagination of the reader. It was simple and very fun- we live on a farm and it reminded my kids and I of our own goats and how silly they are. Would recommend.

What a fun and heartwarming story! The goats in this book teach kids the value of a positive mindset and problem-solving. Their teamwork and determination offer great lessons for young readers. The illustrations capture the lively tone of the book, giving each goat its own distinct personality. Overall, this is an engaging and inspiring read that encourages kids to face challenges with optimism. A perfect choice for young readers!

This was cute. The length was great for kids and the illustrations were fun. I do think that there were a lot of illustrations on one page and made it a little overwhelming. The story started a little abruptly too but overall I enjoyed it.

This one was super fun! With rhyming and absurd situations throughout - the story is entertaining and creative to spark imagination and silly play. I could also see it being interactive with having kids interject in some parts or follow along with the exclamations. The premise of the story is really cute and the illustrations are great - they support the story and add an additional element of discovery and humor for kids to interact with outside of what you would expect from a story about goats.

Overall fast paced and fun - definitely a good one for toddlers/young kids. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Goats Afloat is a delightful rhyming picture book that will captivate early readers with its engaging language, fun story, and vibrant illustrations.

The rhyming structure makes the story predictable and engaging, a feature that is especially beneficial for early readers. Predictable text helps build confidence and fluency, making it a valuable tool in literacy lessons.

The book follows a clear beginning, middle, and end, which is ideal for introducing narrative structure to young learners. This format is easy to incorporate into lessons, such as discussing the sequence of events or identifying favourite parts of the story.

The recurring issue of adds humour and relatability. This theme can be used to spark discussions about problem-solving, distinguishing between big and small problems, and social-emotional learning.

The illustrations are vibrant and engaging, adding another layer of enjoyment for young readers. They complement the text beautifully and will hold the attention of a classroom full of eager learners.

The rhyming text, narrative structure, and onomatopoeia make this book a great addition to literacy lessons. Activities could include identifying rhyming words, sequencing events, or discussing favorite parts.

The "problem-solving" theme is perfect for discussing how to address challenges, whether big or small, in a classroom context.

I found Goats Afloat thoroughly enjoyable and can confidently say that my students would love it. It’s a versatile book that can be used across multiple teaching contexts, and of course just for fun! This book is bound to be a hit in the classroom and amongst kids everywhere!

This is a must-have for educators and parents looking for a fun picture book.

What could be more fun than a boat full of goats? My children were captivated from the very first page of this fun, rhyming story. We were all (happily) surprised by the ending and then had several re-reads to explore all the details in the illustrations and the fun (and puns) of the rhyming words. Such a fun story of friendship, teamwork, and going with the flow!

Many thanks to the publisher for the digital review copy via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and all opinions expressed are my own.