DUCK MOVES IN!

A moose fond of peace and quiet gets acquainted with an irritatingly sociable duck in this genial series opener.

Sauntering over well-traveled thematic ground, Reedstrom pairs a solitude-loving moose with a chattery mallard. Duck takes a comfy perch between Moose’s antlers and announces: “This will be my forever home. Hiya! I’m Duck.” Moose, understandably peeved, tries to shake the squatter off into a series of alternative digs. Duck, like the cat of song and story, keeps coming back (the distant, snowy mountaintop just doesn’t have “that je ne sais quois”) but does get the message at last—and so unpacks a large-screen TV(!) and other furniture in an open meadow and invites Moose over for movie night. Moose’s discovery that they both like the same films and snacks leads, voilà! to instant bonding, and the final simply drawn cartoon scene leaves the pair companionably lounging together on a sofa with Duck’s “Peace and Quack” sampler hung on an antler. “Friends!” “Roommates!” Stories of friends who get off to a rocky start are a staple of kid lit, and Moose and Duck make an endearing pair. With just a few speech bubbles and two or three panels per page, this title is a strong choice for those new to comics.

Odd couple animal bros, firmly set in the grand tradition of Frog and Toad.