Ducks Away!
by Mem Fox (Author) Judy Horacek (Illustrator)
As she paces and frantically quacks, the remaining ducklings playfully plop one by one into the river until all of the siblings are happily floating along. Now that all five ducklings are safely in the water, Mother Duck flies down to join in the fun, relieved to have all her ducklings together again.
Mem introduces young readers to the basic math principles of addition and subtraction.
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Kirkus Reviews
A duck family encounters a surprise detour as they attempt to cross a bridge.
One by one, Mother Duck and her five little ducklings come into view. As they waddle across the bridge, a gust of wind blows one duckling off and into the river below. Mother Duck exclaims, “What should I do? / Where should I go, / with four on the bridge / and one below?” The remaining ducklings follow in turn, and each time Mother Duck wonders how to respond, changing the numbers as appropriate. As each duck initially appears and when it moves from the bridge to the river, the number words are emphasized in orange print that stands out against white backgrounds and the otherwise black type. The combination of the visual and written elements depicting the ongoing addition and subtraction as the ducks change location makes for a powerful representation of these beginning numerical concepts. The repeated rhyming phrases encourage interactive reading and predicting what might happen next. Prolific children’s author Fox has teamed up yet again with illustrator Horacek on this work, her collaborator on the effervescent Where Is the Green Sheep? (2004) and several other titles. The illustrations are deceptively simple, presenting the action of the story exactly as written with the use of bold lines, minimal colors, and ample negative space.
Straightforward illustrations, a spirited refrain, and engaging number play add up to a delightful read. (Picture book. 2-6)Booklist
Publishers Weekly
The team behind Where Is the Green Sheep? and other titles uses its creative alchemy to turn a simple counting story into a funny page-turner. A yellow mother duck is crossing a bridge with her five ducklings; the nicely distilled setting consists of an arc of gray stones with a mottled purple-blue stripe of water underneath. As soon as the family reaches the apex of the bridge, the ducklings start dropping down into the water one by one--some by choice, some by accident. They take to their new situation like, well, ducks to water, but Mother Duck is in a tizzy until her brood coaxes her off the bridge ("Go with the flow! Five, four, three... two, one, GO!") and into the water with them. The slightly scattered text ("Actually it was two little ducks. No, it was three little ducks. Wait! It was four little ducks") will draw in readers from the first page, and they'll admire how the toylike ducklings, despite their intense dot eyes and oversize orange bills and feet, exude a cool-as-a-cucumber attitude. Ages 3-5. (Jan.)
Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.School Library Journal
PreS-K-A duck's walk across a bridge with her ducklings is interrupted by a gust of wind that brings about a chain reaction. The ducklings follow mom one by one until, just as the fifth one joins the group, a strong wind blows the little one into the river. "Oh no!' quacked Mother Duck. What should I do? Where should I go, with four on the bridge and one below?'" As each duckling peers over the edge, it, too, falls into the water while Mother Duck repeats her lament, substituting different numbers as the amount of offspring on the bridge and below change. Finally, she dives into the water with her ducklings' encouragement. All the number words, used as each duckling joins the walk and when Mother Duck speaks, are printed in orange, making them highly visible on white ground. The cartoon illustrations depict the ducks with simple shapes outlined in black and are filled with humor. VERDICT With visual and written cues that facilitate counting and simple addition and subtraction practice, and repetitive rhyming text that invites participation, this offering is an outstanding choice for group sharing.--Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Cambridge, MA
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
"Sure to be requested and welcome for lapsits and reciting together any time of day." — Kirkus Reviews
"The pictures' visual directness, and goofy playfulness capture the spirit of the timeless rhymes and the enviable relationship between the lanky storyteller and his adoring audience." — Publishers Weekly
Praise for Where Is the Green Sheep?
"[A] neat and satisfying wedding of text and art... Laughs and interactive play will ensue among readers and listeners, alone or in groups." — Booklist
Praise for Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes
"An instant classic . . . there's real magic at work here." — Publishers Weekly
"A gentle, joyous offering." — Booklist
"Fox's lifting verse just has to be read aloud, and preschoolers will quickly pick up on and join in on the anticipated refrain." — The Horn Book Magazine
JUV009030 - Juvenile Fiction | Concepts | Counting & Numbers
JUV002280 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Ducks, Geese, Etc.
Ducks
