Whimsical illustrations and a catchy refrain result in a joyous celebration of what makes us unique.
Page’s picture book features ducks who are determined to go their own way.
The first page of this playful picture book features the statement, “Different ducks duck differently!”; this refrain is repeated throughout the text. The unnamed narrator explains that they’ve heard this ever since they were 3 years old and encourages readers to “ask a duck just how it ducks.” Each page of text alternates with the author’s full-page illustrations featuring ducks “ducking” in their own unique ways, whether dancing ballet on a stage in full costume (“with some pluck”) or in some other hilariously odd scenario. The prose consists of gentle rhymes that are broken up every few pages by the refrain. The illustrations, characterized sharp lines and bold colors, are highly detailed. (The duck “stuck in muck,” for example, is seen in the act of flinging off mud that drips and drops in a way that feels as if readers can reach out and touch it.) Page manages to instill an important message about being yourself in astonishingly few words—words that prove to be both powerful and silly, a combination that is sure to delight both children and adults. The book shines brightest in its illustrations, which are gorgeous and richly layered; the exquisite details prompt eyes to linger. This attention to detail, paired with an inspiring message expressed in a fun new way, makes for a refreshing read.
Whimsical illustrations and a catchy refrain result in a joyous celebration of what makes us unique.Pub Date: June 10, 2024
ISBN: 9798990736603
Page Count: 47
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: Aug. 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among
Pete, the cat who couldn’t care less, celebrates Christmas with his inimitable lassitude.
If it weren’t part of the title and repeated on every other page, readers unfamiliar with Pete’s shtick might have a hard time arriving at “groovy” to describe his Christmas celebration, as the expressionless cat displays not a hint of groove in Dean’s now-trademark illustrations. Nor does Pete have a great sense of scansion: “On the first day of Christmas, / Pete gave to me… / A road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” The cat is shown at the wheel of a yellow microbus strung with garland and lights and with a star-topped tree tied to its roof. On the second day of Christmas Pete gives “me” (here depicted as a gray squirrel who gets on the bus) “2 fuzzy gloves, and a road trip to the sea. / GROOVY!” On the third day, he gives “me” (now a white cat who joins Pete and the squirrel) “3 yummy cupcakes,” etc. The “me” mentioned in the lyrics changes from day to day and gift to gift, with “4 far-out surfboards” (a frog), “5 onion rings” (crocodile), and “6 skateboards rolling” (a yellow bird that shares its skateboards with the white cat, the squirrel, the frog, and the crocodile while Pete drives on). Gifts and animals pile on until the microbus finally arrives at the seaside and readers are told yet again that it’s all “GROOVY!”
Pete’s fans might find it groovy; anyone else has plenty of other “12 Days of Christmas” variants to choose among . (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-06-267527-9
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Aug. 19, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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