Hello, friends! Our book today is I Got You A Present!, written by Mike Erskine-Kellie and Susan McLennan, illustrated by Cale Atkinson.

Happy birthday! There’s a party all ready for you, complete with cake, a gathering of adorable animal friends, and of course, PRESENTS! Your eager friend Duck explains that he wanted to get you the greatest present ever, something that strikes the perfect balance of amazing, unexpected, and something you’ll love. However, with every attempt at the perfect gift, he hits a bump: knitting socks? Very tricky. Inventing an apple juice-fueled jet pack? He’s still working out the kinks. A pet dinosaur? Surprisingly difficult to find. After a plethora of attempts at the perfect gift for you, the poor duck is stymied – until he thinks of a gift that’s just the ticket.

Delightful! This simple, silly, and creatively meta tale is an unexpected treat. Duck eventually decides that the story of his search for a present is the perfect present itself, and “gifts” the reader a physical copy in the penultimate spread (the cover a duplicate of the very book the reader is currently holding). This clever twist and the ridiculous antics of the Duck that precede it are full of light, playful visual gags, accompanied by conversational, matter-of-fact text that is fun to read aloud. The length is perfect for a quick storytime, and JJ really enjoyed the comedy, a repeating set up-then-punchline structure that gets funnier as the gifts escalate in preposterousness. This one is ready-made for birthdays, and would make a fantastic gift for any little reader. Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the author in exchange for an honest review.)