DUCK DUCK MOOSE - Tapa dura

The crowd that adores Jan Thomas' Rhyming Dust Bunnies (Simon & Schuster, 2009) and the Elephant and Piggie books (Disney-Hyperion), will clamor for this surefire hit. Using only the words in the title, and bold, expressive cartoons, author and illustrator seamlessly reveal the challenges of two perfectionist ducks with their exuberant and accident-prone housemate. The ducks sweep and scrub and polish (duck, duck, duck) only to have moose come sprinting through the living room wall (moose!). Children will pick up the pattern quickly and enjoy the delicious anticipation of Moose's latest mayhem. When the ducks send Moose away, they have to soothe his hurt feelings before bringing him back to his surprise party. The action unfolds in bright colors, with hilarious details that will reward repeated viewings. From the opening portrait of the ducks in their preppy sweaters and Moose with underpants on his head, children will guffaw at these mismatched, but endearing friends. Jan Aldrich Solow, Librarian, A. Scott Crossfield Elementary School, Herndon, Virginia Highly Recommended Library Media Connection"

Two neat and tidy ducks live with an absentminded, wall-smashing, paint-spilling, chair-toppling moose. To the slightly skewed but familiar refrain of "duck, duck, moose" (the only words), Jones' illustrations depict the two ducks as they wipe plates clean, set up their easels for an art project (donning featherprotecting smocks first), and carefully decorate a birthday cake. The tension heightens as the ducks' cake gets bigger and more elaborate, and the repeated "duck, duck, duck" can only mean one thing: an even more explosive "MOOSE!!" is on the way. The ruined cake is the last straw for the ducks, and with a scolding, their clumsy friend leaves the house, feeling unwanted. Little does he know, though, that his duck friends are throwing him a surprise birthday bash. Jones' goofy, Boyntonlike characters are surprisingly expressive for all their simplicity. Though this silly story has a lot of well-earned laughs, the sweet ending is a touching reminder that clumsiness is easily forgivable-a valuable lesson for any distractible, tumble-prone tot. - Sarah Hunter Booklist"

PreS-Gr 3 Using the three words of the title, Bardhan-Quallen tells a story filled with slapstick antics. Two ducks and a moose live together. After spilling his coffee and overturning his chair, Moose is out the door, while the ducks spend the morning cleaning and preparing lunch. When Moose races home, however, he crashes through the living room wall and into the carefully set table. When the birds set up their sculpture and painting, he manages to knock everything over. But after he topples a large, lovely cake they have just decorated, the exasperated ducks banish him from the house. Still the exemplary friends begin again, decorating, cake-making, and then going out to coax Moose to return. He does, to find a surprise party just for him. So all ends well at least until the final page turn. The bright cartoon illustrations, heavily outlined in black, add to the fun. Spot images across spreads depict the ducks' meticulous cleaning and cake-baking activities. A small view of Moose striding toward the cake, his head in a book, provides youngsters with an opportunity to predict an inevitable disaster before they turn the page. Each scene of havoc appears with "Moose!" written in large colorful letters. Good fun that gives a whole new meaning to the word "duck." Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT SLJ"

Klutzy moose cause all sorts of picture-book problems, from Z Is for Moose to Ernest, the Moose Who Doesn't Fit, all the way back to If You Give a Moose a Muffin. In this story (not to be confused with Dave Horowitz's 2009 story of the same name), two perfectionist ducks find their tidy house disrupted, repeatedly, by a large antlered fellow whose behavior suggests an impulsive kindergartner. By changing a consonant, Bardhan-Quallen (Pirate Princess) heightens the familiar suspense of the "duck, duck, goose" game; as two white ducks set the table or decorate a layer cake, readers await a crashing entrance by Moose, who demolishes a wall and splatters the dessert. Although written words are few, the story comes across in the punctuation and in Jones's (Here Comes Trouble!) doodly digital art. Like disapproving parents, the ducks must send Moose away (they're planning a surprise party for him); he sulks outside until the ducks apologize, enabling the book to conclude on a final slapstick note. Moose's pratfalls provide short-term entertainment and an opportunity for dramatic read-aloud performances. Ages 3 5. PW"

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) Kirkus"

Duck and Duck are preparing for a party, and each step of the way, Moose inadvertently messes things up, so when he disappears in shame, Duck and Duck must go find him so he can join in the party—which was planned for him! 25,000 first printing.