Duck! by Meg McKinlay, Nathaniel Eckstrom
Published by Candlewick Press on August 13th 2019
ISBN: 1536204226
Pages: 32
Goodreads

“Duck!” is a very simple but clever picture book for ages 3-6. Duck tries his  darnedest  to  warn Horse, Cow, Pig, and Sheep that there is danger looming.  However, when Duck shouts “DUCK” to warn his friends of  impending disaster,  the animals misinterpret Duck’s meaning and believe he is calling each of them a “duck.”  Horse, Cow, Pig, and Sheep  are  highly offended by the misnomer and begin to strongly scold Duck. In  a turn of the tables, Duck immediately apologizes and  unabashedly says, “I should have said RUN!”  And  there is  very good reason why they all should!

This book can  be used when studying farms and farmyards with toddlers through Kindergarten. In addition “DUCK” would make  a wonderful  introduction  to the concept of words having a double meanings.    The usage of “duck” to illustrate this concept is a good one as most young children may already be familiar with the two meanings of  the word. This book is  age appropriate with a straight  forward and  clear plot line.

Lovely, humorous  illustrations by Nathaniel Eckstrom show the frustration on the faces of Horse, Cow, Pig and Sheep,  thus making  “DUCK” a delight to read and share.

Reviewed By Connie Smith, Breakwater School, Portland, ME