Duck, Duck, Porcupine!

The creator of picture books such as the Penguin series (Penguin on Vacation, rev. 7/13; Penguin and Pinecone, et al.) turns her hand to easy readers. Three short chapters follow the adventures of three friends. Big Duck has lots of ideas but not too much sense; Porcupine follows her lead; and Little Duck is always one step ahead of them both. In the first chapter, Big Duck and Porcupine plan a picnic, but Little Duck, with an eye on the weather, has already eaten and is happily splashing in puddles while the other two are still dealing with soggy sandwiches and wet blankets. In the second chapter, Big Duck cannot remember what the big day is, despite all of Little Duck's hints; finally she remembers that it's Porcupine's birthday. The final chapter finds the three making plans for a camping trip. Big Duck has a list of one hundred necessary items to bring, including a snow shovel and a toaster. Meanwhile, Little Duck has already begun the fun with just one item: a bag of marshmallows, which he's started roasting over a campfire. Throughout, Little Duck never speaks, but frequent glances out into the audience humorously invite readers to commiserate with him. Bright colors, heavy outlines, and minimal backgrounds keep viewers' attentions focused on the simple action and the interaction between the characters; all the dialogue, controlled but natural sounding, takes place in speech balloons unambiguously placed on the page. Fresh and funny; a welcome addition to the easy-reader shelf. martha v. parravano

Big Duck has lots of ideas but not much sense; Porcupine follows her lead; Little Duck is always one step ahead of them both. Little Duck never speaks, but glances to the audience humorously invite readers' commiseration. Bright colors, heavy outlines, and minimal backgrounds keep attention on the simple action and characters' interactions through three chapters. A fresh and funny addition to easy-reader shelves.