Synopsis
There once was a duck who played the kazoo, but when a hurricane blew through his lake, it took all his friends away with it. How this lonely duck rediscovers the joys of friendship and revives his home are at the heart of this hopeful story.
Told with lilting rhymes and a simple refrain, and filled with cheerful illustrations, this has all the makings of a modern-day nursery rhyme.
Publishers Weekly
Feeling bereft after a hurricane hits his beloved lake, the kazoo-playing hero flies south to a river where he's quickly befriended by the local ducks. They have such a good time together that when the arrival of spring prompts his return, his new pals are happy to accompany him. The title promises more than the slight story delivers: Sklansky (Goblin Groans: Poems for Halloween) tops off rhyming quatrains with a chorus that ends in "Zu zu" to evoke the kazoo's distinctive quacky sound ("Please come./ We'll have fun,/ Zu zu"), but the toy instrument neither defines the titular duck's personality nor drives the narrative. Beeke's (The Stars Will Still Shine) watercolors are the main attraction here, and they are well worth the price of admission. Once again, she uses gemstone colors, doll-like characters and a gently playful imagination to create utterly beguiling vignettes. While the melting tropical colors of many of her skies and backgrounds conjure a near-irresistible atmosphere, an abundance of witty details, like the migrating duck's stocking cap and scarf, or the duck's riding a turtle downstream, will hold readers' attention. Ages 3-6. (Feb.)
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