COLD LITTLE DUCK, DUCK, DUCK

A little duck learns the power of positive thinking in this salute to spring. Returning to her pond, the world’s cutest duck discovers that winter has not yet relinquished its frigid hold on the area. With her little feet stuck to the ice, the frosty fowl endeavors to hasten the arrival of spring by thinking warm thoughts. As if awakened by the sheer willpower of the duck, spring arrives, bringing balmy breezes to melt the icy pond as well as a flock of her feathered friends. Peters’s (October Smiled Back, 1997) verses sing a duck’s ode to vernal season: “Of crocuses and apple buds/And blades of grass in squishy mud.” The sprightly, rhyming verses are featured in oversized black lettering. Cleverly incorporated into the illustrations is a subtext highlighting the action of each page: “Of wiggly worms and shiny beetles—black, black, black . . . . And blades of grass in squishy mud—snack, snack, snack.” Children will readily join in on these lively chants making this a rollicking read aloud experience. Williams’s soft watercolors fill the pages, capturing the splendor of spring, impossibly fluffy little ducklings frolicking about, azure skies and fresh green fields. A charming tale on its own, this is also a great way to introduce the wonder of the changing seasons to children. Sweet, sweet, sweet. (Picture book. 3-6)