Oh my daughter thought this book was just too funny. The giggles seeing goats in a boat was heartwarming, such a fun read and definitely a favorite of ours to add to the shelf. A great story about when things go wrong and working together to find a solution.

Goats Afloat, written by Lezlie Evans and illustrated by Julia Patton, is an absolutely delightful children's book with a subtle lesson. It's definitely a book that everyone will want to have on their child's bookshelf.
Evans' narration is lyrical and fun, and Patton's illustrations are delightful, with sweet details and colours sure to catch every child's eye. The adventure the five goats go on in their efforts to get to their grandmother's in time for her birthday keep the story flowing, not unlike the lovely river featured on the book's pages.
I highly recommend this book for everyone in the family! Thank you for the ARC of #GoatsAfloat to #NetGalley.

An absolute hit, this story is funny and full of fun asides. Whether it is the mix of narration, world details or speech (which when read aloud in a goat voice is perfection!) this book has it all. Quirky, whimsical illustrations cover every inch and the variation in how these are laid out make every page fresh! Lovely morals leave a sweet taste: family being more important than material things and not to judge others based on stereotypes/first appearances.

If I were a child I know I would be asking to be read this book again and again!

Free proof copy provided by Netgalley.

This book was adorable! My son loved the goats and thought the book was really fun. The story kept him engaged. The text is rhythmic and funny. The illustrations are cute with a touch of whimsy. I especially enjoyed the troll! I think young readers will really enjoy this book!

Such a fun and cute book! I was happily surprised, especially by the ending. This book teaches a great lesson about having a positive mindset and using/developing problem-solving skills. The band of goats in this story set a great example for young readers, and will inspire them to work through problems rather than trying to avoid them. The ending of the book also pushes the idea of friendship, and (sort of) asking for help when you need it, but I won't spoil it.
As for the illustrations, they accurately show the hectic tone of most of the book. The illustrator, through their drawings, gave a unique personality to each goat. Every character was different and had their own visual quirks. It's important to have this element in a kids' book because then the characters stay separate, and don't blend together.
Overall, this book was fun, heartwarming, and encourages readers to think positively when met with a change of plans. Bravo!

1. My point of view
I genuinely like the illustrations. The plot is sweet with a friendly twist at the end. Some of the wording and rhyming are a bit clumsy and I would recommend a more simplistic approach.

2. Four-year-old daughter's point of view
My daughter got a bit bored, but it warrants a second read. The troll frightened her a bit, but after I explained that the troll was a friend of Gran goat she felt better about the character.

I would rate Goats Afloat by Lezlie Evans 3 out of 5

Loved the illustrations! Loved the story! Loved the ending! What a wonderful children's book.

But I especially loved the illustrations (kudos to Julia Patton/illustrator!) and all the fun details and signs. Nicely done Lezlie Evans, author!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Two Lions Publishing for approving my request to read Goats Afloat in exchange for an honest review. 32 pages. expected publication May 6, 2025.

I plan to read with my 7 year old nephew when he visits at Thanksgiving. Can'twait.

A cute take on “Three Billy Goats Gruff.” The art is absolutely adorable. And the story is a gentle reminder to celebrate differences, rather than reject them.

A cute story with an important lesson.

Bright, fun and engaging! Children will love all the detail, as there are so many great things to look at and read. Also, this book is playful to read out loud. It will definitely be picked up more than once by children.

Oh my goodness, this is so cute!

The intricate detail in all the illustrations were really fun to explore by taking a closer look at everything. The image of the goats in house coats was adorable, and I loved the surprise visitor at the end!

Definitely will be purchasing this for my nephew.

My daughter and I loved this book! The illustrations are so detailed with cute little signs to read and the troll hidden in many of the pages. We had fun finding him and seeing what mishaps the goats would stumble into. I really enjoy fun rhyming in children’s books and catchy phrases and this book delivered on both fronts! We can’t wait to add it to our home library!

"So silly!" - Gideon, age 4

Goats Afloat made my son laugh, which is always good. We love rhyming books, plus the illustrations were fun. I can see us adding this one to our bedtime routine.

I really enjoyed this children’s book. The rhyming is fun and the illustrations are adorable. I love when there are lots of different details in pictures so that children can find new things with each re-read.

This book is adorable! The illustrations were captivating and the three goats were endearing. I loved the rhyme scheme, and how planning and thinking forward and big picture is an underlying theme of the story.

This was absolutely adorable. Read it to my son tonight. He is an animal lover and enjoyed the pictures of the goats. It was a very cute story and amazing illustration. Never reviewed a children’s book before but can’t wait to do more. My son is going to be a reading machine when he gets older.

Oh my goodness, what an absolutely adorable book. The rhymes are perfect, the pictures are beautiful, the story is wonderful…I loved everything about Goats Afloat. I can’t wait to buy lots of copies of this great book.

Goats Afloat

ARC Review - Publication date May 6, 2025

This was a fun book about a family of goats trying to make their way through obstacles to see their grandmother for her birthday. The reading had a nice rhyme to it which made it fun to read and easy to follow along. The pictures were fun and kept my child looking to see what was hiding in the background and what was happening to the poor goats.

The troll was my child's favorite thing about the book

My 3 year old daughter thought this book was “so funny” and that the goats were “so cute”!! She thought it was silly when the cake fell over and loved when the troll delivered it. She said the goats should all be friends with the troll.

This book was absolutely adorable! I loved that it rhymed, and I found myself almost singing the words. My kid might be a little old for this, but the young kids will love this. The graphics were also great.