I'm a duck!

PreS-Gr. 2. Compressing a lot of growing up into a few pages, Sloat offers young "ducklings" a healthy dose of self-esteem as well as a way to connect with their fathers. With unconcealed delight, a hatchling discovers his identity: "I'm a duck. Yup, by some magnificent stroke of good luck, I'm a duck!" His self-regard takes a series of quantum leaps as he learns to quack, swim, and fly. Then, fast-forwarding, he meets a female ("There's a strut in my waddle now. I've got a wife! I tell you, this girl has changed my whole life") and later witnesses the arrival of the next generation. Finally, as he paddles with 10 fuzzy new arrivals, the proud papa proclaims, "Of all the magnificent luck that I've had, nothing beats being a duck and a . . . DAD!" Illustrated with cozy wetland scenes and vignettes in rich greens and yellows, this has a child-friendly look but seems addressed as much to parents--particularly dads--as to kids. ((Reviewed March 1, 2006)) Copyright 2006 Booklist Reviews.

PreS-Gr 2 -From the moment he hatches, a duckling celebrates his "duck-ness"-his webbed feet, his perfect waddle, his strong quack, and his flapping wings. As he grows, he meets a mate, becomes a father, and continues his zestful take on life. Sloat’s rhymed text captures the exuberance of this eternal optimist and gives a glimpse into the life cycle of a mallard. The full-color art is rendered in pastels and has bold lines and a variety of perspectives and page layouts. Libraries looking for stories featuring a natural wetlands setting will appreciate this ducky tale.-Marge Loch-Wouters, Menasha’s Public Library, WI [Page 110]. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

A duck marvels at how wonderful it is to be a duck, with feathers, webbed feet, and wings that can fly, from the time he is hatched until he becomes a dad.