Tag: ducks

Truck Full Of Ducks (Ross Burach)

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Hello, friends! Or book today is Truck Full Of Ducks by Ross Burach, the hilariously silly story of an unusual delivery.

Bernie the dog’s Truck Full Of Ducks delivery service gets an urgent order, so he herds his rascally feathered fowl into the truck and heads out. Unfortunately, one of the rambunctious ducks snacks on the directions to Bernie’s destination! How will he find his customer now? Left with no other choice, Bernie drives around and asks everyone he comes across if they ordered a Truck Full Of Ducks. But everyone is waiting for something else instead: a tow-truck for the alien’s broken-down UFO, an ice cream truck for the surfer shark, etc. Will Bernie ever find his customer? And when he does… what becomes of the ducks?

Ridiculous and charming. The dialogue-driven text and frenetic illustrations use wordplay, broad humor, and a heavy dose of irony to fill every page with jokes that are hilarious to readers both young and old. JJ loved the wild antics of the ducks, as well as the ample opportunities for character voices while reading aloud. The twist ending is amusingly unexpected, and the length is perfect for a quick read – but with plenty of details in the art that invite repeat readings. We loved this one, and highly recommend it for a laugh. Baby Bookworm approved!

Dino Duckling (Alison Murray)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is Dino Duckling by Alison Murray, an adorable and touching tale about being different.

Even before his egg has hatched, Dino’s mama duck knew he was going to be different. After all, her other children are all small, fluffy yellow ducklings and Dino is… not. But from the very start, Mama Duck was sure to tell all her children that even if they didn’t look the same, they were a family and they should always look out for each other. As Dino and his siblings grew, Mama Duck taught them all the things to know about being a duck. And even though he was happy with his family, Dino sometimes felt how very different he was from them – in size and shape and, climactically, his inability to fly south with them for the winter. As his mother and siblings lift off, Dino sinks down and cries, imagining they have finally left him. But family is family, no matter what – and family never leaves one of their own behind.

Lovely. When it comes to complicated issues in children’s books, sometimes the simplest version of the story is best, especially when it has the degree of honesty that this one has. I especially liked that it noted how, even with love and support from family, being different can still be hard on the unique; it shows kids that sometimes being frustrated or sad with what sets them apart is natural and fair. The illustrations are absolutely darling, and JJ went wild for them, ESPECIALLY Dino (you can see her showing them to her own Mr. Dinosaur in the picture). The length is great, and we enjoyed it. A classic tale of family love, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

Bear Likes Jam (Ciara Gavin)

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Hello, friends! Today’s book is Bear Likes Jam by Ciara Gavin, an adorable tale about the importance of a balanced diet.

Gavin’s lovely blended family of ducks and their beloved bear returns, with a new challenge to overcome. When Bear tries jam for the first time, he is hooked. Sometimes, he gets so excited that he forgets to share. Sometimes, he eats more than his fill, or even eats jam when he’s not supposed to, like after bedtime. Mother Duck is beginning to worry: growing bears should have healthy, balanced diets. She puts her webbed foot down: no more jam until Bear eats his vegetables. But Bear doesn’t like vegetables! He refuses to eat them, and goes to bed hungry. Can his adoptive family find a way to get Bear excited about healthy eating?

This is the third book in Gavin’s Bear series, and we enjoyed it just as much as the last two. As always, the pen-and-watercolor illustrations are just adorable, and create wonderfully lively characters. The story here was great too: encouraging a balanced diet is always a good lesson for little ones, but I especially liked that it acknowledged that veggies just aren’t always delicious. The family encouraging healthy eating by making a game out of it felt more honest and, frankly, like a fun idea. The length is perfect for young readers, and JJ enjoyed it very much. A great addition to the series, and Baby Bookworm approved!

Duck, Duck, Dinosaur (Kallie George)

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Summer Reading Day 40: Today’s book was Duck, Duck Dinosaur by Kallie George! It’s the unbelievably cute story of a Mama duck and her three babies, two little ducklings and one not-so-little dinosaur. It’s a great story about siblings: how they can fight, compete and be very different, but at the end of the day, their mommy loves them all the same, and they are a family. The illustrations are charming, and it’s a great length for a one year old. Thumbs up!

Room For Bear (Ciara Gavin)

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Summer Reading Day 29: Happy 4th of July! Today’s book was Room For Bear by Ciara Gavin. This is actually the prequel to Bear Is Not Tired, one of our favorite books from our Summer Reading so far, and it did not disappoint. Like Bear Is Not Tired, Room For Bear has a charming story and adorable illustrations, and tells a sweet tale about a bear and his adoptive family of ducks finding the right place to live. We loved it.