Review by Booklist Review
PreS^-K. Here's a familiar story kicked up a notch by a counting element and irresistible art. The story is reassuring and utterly straightforward. A mother duck encourages her five ducklings to leave the nest and take a swim. Each baby, in turn, exhibits the jitters, with the smallest, Little Quack, the most reluctant to take the plunge. The charm is in Anderson's comical, eye-commanding acrylics. Each duckling looks different in some way--one has a flower on its head, another has downy head feathers that stick straight up. Little Quack is, of course, the most endearing of all. Each duck's entry into the water is registered on a "Quack-U-Lator," running along the bottom of the spread, which gives youngsters a bit of very basic addition practice: one duck + one duck + one duck + one duck + one duck = 5, "five ducklings in the pond." --Connie Fletcher
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Debut artist Anderson's portrait of a quintet of plucky ducklings and their enticing pond habitat make this familiar tale memorable. Widdle, Waddle, Piddle, Puddle and Little Quack are perfectly content to remain in the nest and view the pond from afar. But Mama Duck will not give up until they take their first swim. "Come little ducklings," she says. "Paddle on the water with me." Anderson paints the pond surface as a velvety quiltwork of violets and shimmery sky blues. A clunky "Quack-U-Lator"-a purple box that runs along the bottom of every spread-keeps track of the ducks entering the water (e.g., when Widdle and Waddle are swimming, the Quack-U-Lator shows two duck icons on the left, joined by the plus sign, and the numeral 2 follows an equals sign; opposite, in capital letters, reads, "Two ducklings in the pond"). With a judicious use of repetition and an ear for both Mama's mellifluous pleadings and the squawkings of her recalcitrant crew, Thompson's (Mouse's First Christmas) text trips off the tongue. But it's Anderson's depiction of the adorable ducklings, working up their courage to join their fuzzy siblings ("You can do it,... I know you can," cheers Mama) that will keep toddlers coming back. The cocky look of the ducklings already floating, and the expression of lone Little Quack as he tentatively dips a tip of his webbed foot in the water, will make this a nursery favorite. Ages 2-6. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 5-These excellent videos, suitable for deaf or hearing children, combine the quality viewers have come to expect from Weston Woods with the American Sign Language (ASL) savvy of production company ASL Inside. Each program presents a popular children's book and uses the familiar format of picture-book pages translated to video, with some animation added. Signers Missy Keast and Manny Hernandez, both known in the signing community for their storytelling skills, appear in the foreground, translating the text on each page into ASL. Optional English text on screen and English voiceover make these videos completely accessible to all viewers. Additional features include a vocabulary section, which is arranged alphabetically by English translation and shows featured signs in isolation, and a 10-question quiz that assesses comprehension and memory. Additional classroom activities, flashcards, and worksheets are available online for each title. The series will appeal to multiple audiences: deaf children can access the stories in their native language while building English vocabulary and reading skills, and hearing youngsters can practice their English vocabulary while learning basic ASL.-Kathleen Kelly Macmillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
After deciding that her five ducklings are ready to leave the nest, Mama Duck encourages them to jump into the pond. Even the youngest reader won't doubt that the fifth and smallest, Little Quack, will take the plunge, and the quack-u-lator duckling counter along the bottom of select double-page spreads seems a feeble attempt to add interest. The acrylic images are alluringly bright if undistinguished. From HORN BOOK Fall 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The odyssey of ducklings venturing forth from their comfortable nests into the big world resonates with children and has been a well-traveled subject of many works geared toward young readers. Thompson's (Mouse's First Valentine, 2002, etc.) latest effort will certainly appeal to youngsters despite its lack of originality. Mama Duck is coaxing her five hesitant ducklings (Widdle, Waddle, Piddle, Puddle, and Little Quack) into the water one at a time. A "quack-u-lator" at the bottom of the pages adds an interesting mathematical element, helping children count along as ducklings jump into the pond. Mama encourages each nervous duckling to "paddle on the water with me . . . you can do it . . . I know you can." Overcoming their initial fright, the first four ducklings "splish, splash, sploosh, and splosh" happily into the water. The simple tale's climax occurs when Little Quack wavers at the water's edge. "Could he do it? Did he dare?" Not to spoil the ending, but suffice it to say all five ducklings swim off "proud as can be." In his debut effort, Anderson's bright and colorful illustrations are lively and captivating. The five adorable ducklings embark on this rite of passage sporting unique looks ranging from Mohawk-type head feathers to orange spots and flowered hair adornments. A pleasant enough take on an old standby. (Picture book. 2-5)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
