HOW SELFISH!
From the Dot and Duck series
by Clare Helen Welsh ; illustrated by Olivier Tallec
Fowl and friend fight over toys.
Duo Dot and Duck explored manners in How Rude! (2018). Now they are back, learning another tough childhood lesson. Duck finds a stick, but Dot greedily snatches it away. Duck thinks it should be a flag. Dot thinks it is a sword. The two squabble back and forth, grabbing and yelling. “Flag!” “Sword!” Duck tries to negotiate: “Swap the flag for a rabbit?” But Dot is having none of it: “That’s MY toy!” When Duck suggests sharing, Dot ceremoniously offers a tiny leaf while keeping everything else (including the stick). The pair can’t figure out how to agree until Duck utters the most powerful phrase in all of childhood: “I’m telling on you….” Dot quickly acquiesces, and suddenly Duck is the one with all of the toys. Dot is fuming. How selfish! The staccato shouts that dominate the dialogue-only text and the uncluttered, white backdrop emphasize this grumpy feud. Each page turn shows how quickly an argument can escalate. Luckily, the duo realize they miss each other’s company and are able to find a compromise. The argument itself offers hints as a model for social-emotional conflict resolution, but this book is more likely to be used to spark a deeper discussion rather than to provide solo guidance. Duck is a yellow-feathered duck; Dot is a pink-skinned human.
Exploring selfish behavior makes understanding the “why” of sharing easier.
(Picture book. 3-6)