Duck and cover

As fans of Duck at the Door (2007) and Duck Soup (2008) know, Irene s house is a haven for homeless animals. Still, she is shocked when an alligator knocks at the door and begs for sanctuary. Duck convinces Irene to shelter the gator, though their furry and feathered housemates are frantic with terror. As they get to know Max, they do want to help him—as far as their jitters will allow. Lively ink drawings with colorful washes amplify the comedy. The story reads well, but Urbanovic s amusing portrayals of the animal characters steal the show. Fun for reading aloud to singles or groups. Copyright 2008 Booklist Reviews.

PreS-Gr 2—Irene, the patient host to a menagerie of quirky animals, finds a new visitor at her door in this follow-up to Duck at the Door (2007) and Duck Soup (2008, both HarperCollins). Her visitor is Harold, an alligator on the lam from the zoo detectives. His crime? "I just had a snack! Okay, so it was someone's pet. I didn't know that!" Max the duck puts aside his fears of being eaten and convinces everyone to take Harold in. Sure enough, he has a large appetite, though he seems happy with the gang's culinary offerings. Eventually the zoo detectives show up at Irene's door, but Harold is off the hook. "The dog we thought Harold ate wasn't the girl's PET DOG. It was her HOT DOG." The charming watercolors will give audiences plenty to look at as these expressive creatures search the house for an alligator-sized hiding place and plot to save their new guest. The animals are clearly the movers and shakers in this household, and Urbanovic has done a fine job of rendering each one with clever humanlike postures and expressions. Readers will be especially tickled by the illustration of a room full of animals all dressed in homemade alligator costumes. With a comedic story and strong visuals, Duck and Cover is sure to please.—Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI [Page 87]. Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

Irene and her menagerie of pets, including Max the duck, take in an alligator who has run away from the zoo, despite their grave concerns about his voracious appetite. By the creator of Duck at the Door.

Irene and her menagerie of pets, including Max the duck, take in an alligator who has run away from the zoo, in spite of grave concerns about his voracious appetite.

When Harold, a large green alligator with a big mouth and an even bigger appetite, shows up at Irene's door seeking shelter, everyone hides. Except Max. Max persuades the other critters that this particular runaway needs their help. So while everyone keeps busy seeing that Harold remains well fed, Max cooks up a clever plan. But is a room filled with fake alligators enough to keep the zoo detective away?