The Real Thief

By William Steig

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?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Jul 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781466840973

William Steig

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. Steig was born in New York City. Every member of his family was involved in the arts, and so it was no surprise when he decided to become an artist. He attended City College and the National Academy of Design. In 1930, Steig’s work began appearing in The New Yorker, where his drawings have been a popular fixture ever since. He published his first children's book, Roland the Minstrel Pig, in 1968. In 1970, Steig received the Caldecott Medal for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. His books for children also include Dominic; The Real Thief; The Amazing Bone, a Caldecott Honor Book; Amos & Boris, a National Book Award finalist; and Abel's Island and Doctor De Soto, both Newbery Honor Books. Steig's books have also received the Christopher Award, the Irma Simonton Black Award, the William Allen White Children's Book Award, and the American Book Award. His European awards include the Premio di Letteratura per l'infanzia (Italy), the Silver Pencil Award (the Netherlands), and the Prix de la Fondation de France. On the basis of his entire body of work, Steig was selected as the 1982 U.S. candidate for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for Illustration and subsequently as the 1988 U.S. candidate for Writing. Steig also published thirteen collections of drawings for adults, beginning with About People in 1939, and including The Lonely Ones, Male/Female, The Agony in the Kindergarten, and Our Miserable Life. He died in Boston at the age of 95.

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Reviews for The Real Thief

[Tim B · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was an awesome book, it had a great moral and a great story line. It was well thought out and just good in general. It was interesting so I read on and on.

[grimauds_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Real Thief is a book about Gawain the goose who guards the royal treasury. When things begin disappearing, King Basil becomes suspicious of his loyal guard. Despite Gawain's good reputation, all his friends start to think the worst. Where is the real thief while Gawain suffers the suspicions of everyone around him?Like most WIlliam Steig books, The Real Thief deals with some pretty heavy issues in a delicate way. Trust, betrayal, friendship, loyalty, regret and redemption are a few from this story. All are dealt with in a manner that is appropriate for young audiences.Especially interesting is how the story covers events from two points of view. It may be one of Steig's lesser known works, but it is another classic.This is a great book to read aloud to young ones (especially when transitioning from picture books to chapter books).