The Real Thief - by William Steig (Paperback)

About the Book

This classic is available once again to commemorate Steigs 100th birthday. When Gawain the goose is deserted by his friends after being unjustly convicted of stealing from his beloved king, the real thief is tortured by his conscience. Illustrations.

Book Synopsis

Another classic story from William Steig, the Caldecott and Newbery Medal-winning creator of Shrek!, The Real Thief follows a good-natured goose accused of stealing who must uncover the true culprit for the crime.

Gawain is a loyal and true goose serving as chief guard of the royal treasury. He'd been happy enough with his life at home tending his garden and making sketches of architectural masterpieces. Now he's being charged with stealing from the treasury. Gawain is certain of his innocence, but he can't prove it. Will the real thief come forward to save Gawain, or will he live in exile forever?

Review Quotes

"Steig's captivating style and tongue-in-cheek humor bring to life an endearing set of animal characters with some extremely human foibles." --Booklist

"Impossible to resist." --Kirkus Reviews

"In this age of poorly thought out endings to books, it's a treat to end with one of Steig's many stunning last lines, this one from The Real Thief, which he singled out as his favorite among his books: 'There was peace and harmony in the kingdom once again, except for the little troubles that come up every so often even in the best of circumstances, since nothing is perfect.'" --Los Angeles Times

About the Author

William Steig (1907-2003) was a cartoonist, illustrator and author of award-winning books for children, including Shrek!, on which the DreamWorks movies are based; the Caldecott Medal-winner Sylvester and the Magic Pebble; The Caldecott Honor book The Amazing Bone; and the Newbury Honor Books Abel's Island and Doctor De Soto. Stieg also published thirteen collections of drawings for adults, including The Lonely Ones, Male/Female, and Our Miserable Life.