Synopsis
Steve and Carl are ducks. Steve likes cans. Carl likes socks. But Steve and Carl don't like being called dumb by seagulls. Steve and Carl don't get mad. Steve and Carl don't get angry. Steve and Carl get even, though not in the way they originally intended.
Maxwell Eaton, creator of the Max and Pinky books, introduces us to two lovable and quirky ducks who kids are sure to cheer for in this clever anti-bullying book.
Publishers Weekly
Okay, Steve and Carl may be a little geeky, but if this is dumb, readers won't want to be smart. Steve can make awesome things out of tin cans ("Aluminum monster!" he shouts, while clanging around with cans on every appendage), and Carl is some kind of magician with socks ("Squishy and smelly!"). But that doesn't seem to matter to a bunch of bullying seagulls, who relentlessly tease the heroes, crying "Two dumb ducks! Two dumb ducks!" Self-esteem isn't a major problem for this pair ("Have you seen his amazing sock friends?" Steve asks readers as Carl holds up two lumpy creations), but the insults still sting. Steve and Carl try it all, from empathy ("Troubles at home?") to simply asking the gulls to stop, but nothing works--until they get an inadvertent assist from some very mucky mud. Eaton's (the Max and Pinky books) story may not be deemed suitable for an antibullying curriculum, but it is utterly genuine in both its humor and pain; Eaton's bold cartooning and deadpan, economic storytelling make every page a treat. Ages 5 8. (Oct.)