One Duck (32 pp.; $18.95; $6.95 paper; Sept.; 1-55037-561-X; paper 1-55037-560-1): A mother duck nestles down in a field atop twelve eggs, a farmer fires up the tractor, ready for a day’s plowing, and the stage is set for a sudden, potentially tragic encounter. Hutchins (Believing Sophie, 1995, etc.) tells the tale in an abbreviated way that adds to the suspense; against hay-golden backgrounds, Ohi uses scribbles and short pen strokes to create contrasting textures. The farmer sees the nest in time, stops to move it out of the way, and is thereafter rewarded with the sight of mother leading twelve appealingly scruffy ducklings across the road to the pond. It’s a fleeting episode, engrossingly tense, laced with a little natural history, and finished off by a not entirely predictable outcome. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-55037-561-X
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1999
Baker (Big Fat Hen, 1994, etc.) engages in more number play, posing ducklings in every combination of groups, e.g., “Splashing as they leap and dive/7 ducklings, 2 plus 5.” Using a great array of streaked and dappled papers, Baker creates a series of leafy collage scenes for the noisy, exuberant ducklings to fill, tucking in an occasional ladybug or other small creature for sharp-eyed pre-readers to spot. Children will regretfully wave goodbye as the ducks fly off in neat formation at the end of this brief, painless introduction to several basic math concepts. (Picture book. 4-6)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-292858-8
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1999
Big Brown Bear, with a natty bowler hat, is all set to paint the house in this cheerful Level 1 reader. Every page presents a full-color scene and a few words of easily predicted, often rhyming text: “Bear is big. Bear is brown. Bear goes up. He comes down.” Big Bear climbs a ladder with a pail of blue paint, while nearby, Little Bear plays with a ball and bat—“Oh no! Little Bear! Do not do that!” These are simple words, but sometimes challenging ones, e.g., there are two uses of up, as in climbing the ladder and washing up. The pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations provide nearly ideal context, while also amplifying the story. The format is attractive and practical, featuring large type on a white background that is placed for easy reading. Beginning readers will be amused by the gentle humor in the book, and feel accomplished to have tackled it themselves. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201999-5
Page Count: 20
Publisher: Green Light/Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999
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