MUCKY DUCK
by Sally Grindley & illustrated by Neal Layton
A duck who likes to get dirty stars in Grindley’s latest. Cooking, playing soccer, and painting are among Ducky’s favorite activities, and he goes at them with gusto. Layton’s boisterous spreads show Ducky dousing himself with strawberry jam, diving into a mud puddle, and stepping in paint. “Oh you Mucky Duck!” exclaims his human friend Oliver Dunkley. Ducky’s frenetic energy is well-represented in Layton’s busy illustrations. Childlike scribbles, bold colors, and pictures drawn on cut paper, then incorporated into the larger spread, perfectly match his personality. Bath-phobic youngsters will identify with Ducky, and perhaps be persuaded by Grindley’s good-natured humor to clean up their act. (Picture book. 3-6)