I can help in the neighborhood

Toddler-PreS--A baby duck wanders out of the fountain in the park and gets lost. Luckily, a friendly rabbit hops in to help, and the family is quickly reunited. This starts a chain of kindness and assistance that cycles through the entire neighborhood. The combination of bold, clear illustrations of familiar animals and the repeated call-and-response of "Uh-oh!" and "I can help!" will make this a good title for story hours with young children as well as a sweet choice for beginning readers. Picture books that feature a young animal in distress with kindly neighbors offering to assist are commonly set in the wild, as in Nancy Tafuri's Have You Seen My Duckling? Adults may be amused (or disconcerted) by the players in this presumably urban neighborhood: a raccoon helps a pigeon by tipping over the recycling bin, then a rat helps the raccoon by rolling an out-of-reach apple (from the garbage) through the bars of a fence, and more. VERDICT A simple but winning story of cooperation, kindness, and the importance of being willing to lend a paw.--Jennifer Costa

In this follow-up to Costello'sI Can Help (2010), a duckling receives assistance, which results in a chain of good deeds. Peeking out from tall grass, the little duck laments, "Uh-oh. I'm lost." A rabbit bounds by and cheerily offers to help. The rabbit jumps high and spots the duckling's family. They are all reunited. When the perspective zooms out, readers can see that the animals are in a park. But now the rabbit, tangled in a kite string, needs help. A passing pigeon flaps down and says, "I can help." A familiar pattern emerges as the book demonstrates how all the animals are interconnected. The setting changes as the pigeon flies out of the park and into an urban environment. In need of shelter, the pigeon laments, "I need cover." A raccoon steps in to lend a paw; later, a rat and a squirrel join the fray. Day turns to night and back to morning, and the same little duckling helps the squirrel but gets lost again (someone get that duck a compass!). The repeating refrain of "I can help" will reassure readers and is simple enough to be triumphantly parroted by the youngest of storytime audiences. Whether depicting a verdant park or moonlit city scenes, Costello's artwork sets a soothing tone. Human characters are diverse. Infectiously charming.(Picture book. 2-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.