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PRESCHOOL
Underwood, Deborah

Ducks!

40 pp. | Holt/Godwin | February, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-1-250-12709-9 $17.99
(2) PS Illustrated by T. L. McBeth. Distracted by a butterfly, a duck walks away from its pond and fellow ducks, only to discover upon returning that its friends are gone. Following some deceptive clues ("SQUAWK"s, footprints, feathers, etc.) leads the creature on a wild duck chase through a city until a "lost dog" sign gives our protagonist an idea that finally leads to the group's reunion. Underwood cleverly crafts her entire story using almost no text beyond the word duck ("DUCKS! / NO DUCKS! / DUCKS? / NO DUCKS"). Instead, the narrative largely plays out in McBeth's light blue and orange digital illustrations, making the book accessible to very young children. McBeth's minimalist style places the focus on the action by eschewing detailed backgrounds in favor of thick black outlines around the images to help them stand out against the white pages. Careful viewers may notice on the cover and title page that the protagonist is presumably a youngster, smaller than the other three ducks and with one feather to their two. Each reveal of a misleading clue and the young duck's exacerbated reaction adds visual humor, which lightens the tone of the otherwise serious subject matter; readers familiar with the "lost" child (or is it parent?) scenario should take comfort in the book's happy resolution.
Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2020

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