Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Jane loves her yellow plastic duck. When he falls off his perch and out the window into her brother's carriage, nobody notices. The next few hours hold sometimes-scary adventures for the bath toy-a romp through the park in the family dog's mouth, a swim with real ducks in the pond, getting splashed with mud, and being pushed around by a fish. Though poor Love-a-Duck has attempted all day to squeak at the other animals like any self-respecting rubber ducky should, he's unable to manage it. After his return to the tub, via the same dog, the contented toy is finally able to "Squeak, squeak!" Cheerful, bright illustrations help relate this humorous escapade. Call-and-response portions of the book will engage young listeners, who will laugh at the duck's attempts to get his voice just right.-Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI (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
A rubber ducky, whose owner, Jane, laments that he "can't even squeak," falls out the bathroom window. His journey takes him all over town, but will he make it back to the bathroom safely? Will Jane still love him, despite his wonky squeak ("squoo, squoo!")? Chessa's emotionally rich illustrations show the protagonists in a sympathetic light, drawing readers into the story. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This affable tale chronicles the adventures of a rubber duck on the loose, with Brown impishly recounting the story from the faux fowl's point of view. Love-a-Duck is quite content to be Jane's bath toy. However, when the waterlogged plaything is unable to squeak, it fears losing Jane's affection. A tumble from the windowsill and the intervention of the family pooch lead to a calamitous day outside. Young readers will be entertained by the travails of the beleaguered bath toy as it finds itself unceremoniously dropped in a pond, where it comes face to face with a flock of real ducks. A happy ending is in store for the yellow toy as it returns home with its exultant squeak restored. The avuncular narrative voice engages the audience in repetitive questions and answers, and Love-a-Duck's comical attempts at speaking provide plenty of participation opportunities. Chessa's lively pencil sketches comically convey Love-a-Duck's exasperation as it endures the events of the day. Her cheery, inviting paintings are the just-right complement to this quirky tale. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
