DUCK, DUCK, MOOSE!

Two ducks plus one moose equals mayhem, mischief and true friendship.

The three words of the title are the only three words used in the text (aside from a couple of signs in the illustrations). A sequence of scenes depicts the two ducks going about their tasks with care and attention. They clean, they paint, they blow up balloons, they bake—they are planning a party for the moose. And the moose? He clumsily messes up all of their work. Remorseful, he sits on a log until his two good friends coax him home for a festive party. Jones’ cartoon artwork tells the story with detailed, precise drawings of the ducks outlined in black against a clean white background. The moose’s antics, in contrast, are chaotic, with colors and spillage abounding. All three faces are wonderfully expressive. Neat hand lettering used for “duck” and “duck” becomes demonstrative Magic Marker scrawls accented with exclamation points for “MOOSE.” Emerging readers will easily join in the fun. The page design allows for a well-paced and entertaining read-aloud, and kids will love seeing how the traditional children’s game gets a funny new setting with “moose” taking the place of “goose.”

 Fun, fun, fun! (Picture book. 3-6)