LOVE-A-DUCK

This affable tale chronicles the adventures of a rubber duck on the loose, with Brown impishly recounting the story from the faux fowl’s point of view. Love-a-Duck is quite content to be Jane’s bath toy. However, when the waterlogged plaything is unable to squeak, it fears losing Jane’s affection. A tumble from the windowsill and the intervention of the family pooch lead to a calamitous day outside. Young readers will be entertained by the travails of the beleaguered bath toy as it finds itself unceremoniously dropped in a pond, where it comes face to face with a flock of real ducks. A happy ending is in store for the yellow toy as it returns home with its exultant squeak restored. The avuncular narrative voice engages the audience in repetitive questions and answers, and Love-a-Duck’s comical attempts at speaking provide plenty of participation opportunities. Chessa’s lively pencil sketches comically convey Love-a-Duck’s exasperation as it endures the events of the day. Her cheery, inviting paintings are the just-right complement to this quirky tale. (Picture book. 3-7)