The Secret Valentine (Duck and Hippo #4)

by Jonathan London (Author) Andrew Joyner (Illustrator)

The Secret Valentine (Duck and Hippo #4)
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Series: Duck and Hippo
It's Valentine's Day, and something curious is going on. As the birds tweet their love songs, Hippo and his friends Elephant, Pig, and Turtle each receive mysterious, unsigned Valentine's Day cards. Hippo wonders if his is from Duck; Elephant and Turtle think theirs are from Pig; and Pig dreams that hers is from Turtle. The cards tell the friends to come to the park at four o'clock to meet their valentines--so they'll find out soon enough! As the clock ticks away, the friends wonder--and dream--about their valentines and make special preparations. But when they arrive...SURPRISE! This Valentine's Day might not go exactly the way they expected, but one thing is certain: being friends with Duck and Hippo is always a special treat!
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Kirkus Reviews


School Library Journal

K-Gr 2--When Duck realizes that she doesn't have a valentine on Valentine's Day, she devises a plan to bring all her friends together to celebrate. As she secretly delivers her anonymous party invitations, Hippo is hoping it is from Duck, Turtle is hoping it's from Pig (and vice versa), and Elephant is wondering if it's from Duck or Pig. As the time for the gathering draws near, each animal puts on their best outfit, gathers a treat to share, and heads to the park. They all arrive at exactly 4:00 p.m., but where is Duck? With a flourish she leaps from a bush and declares, "I'm the secret valentine!" and as she gives Hippo a rose she says, "The best valentines are friends" and all of the others heartily agree. Joyner's digitally colored illustrations depict the affable pals in varied settings including house, pizza shop, pond, grocery, bathroom, and street as they get their invite, prepare, and rush off to the park. Plenty of detail, white space plus fun text type and placement make for a lively read. Observant readers will see telltale signs of sneaky Duck as she delivers her missives and spot the birds on every page. An added bonus is a lesson in analog time telling. On six occasions that the text mentions time, there is a clock face somewhere in the illustration (alarm clock, clock tower, timepiece, sundial, etc.) with a blue minute hand and red hour hand with matching numbers. VERDICT A friend-affirming Valentine story with a time-teaching element to boot. A good choice for storytime or one-on-one sharing.--Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Jonathan London
Jonathan London is the creator of more than 20 books about the lovable and enduringly popular character Froggy. He is also a poet and a novelist. He burst on the children's book scene in 1992 with the publication of three picture books. Since then he has published over 100 picture books, including the Froggy series and the young adult novel Where's Home? Jonathan London started writing poetry in his late teens. Although he received a Masters Degree in Social Sciences and never formally studied literature or creative writing, he began to consider himself a "writer" about the time he graduated from college. After college, he became a dancer in a modern dance company and worked at numerous low-paying jobs as a laborer or counselor. However, during this 20-year period, London continued to write. He wrote poems and short stories for adults, earning next to nothing despite being published in many literary magazines. "It wasn't until I had kids of my own that I became a writer for children," he explains. "It all started with telling them stories when they were very young. I wrote down one of these stories, and it became The Owl Who Became the Moon, my first picture book sale (though it was my fourth to appear in print). Now I am finally making a living as a writer. A dream come true!" Born a "Navy brat" in Brooklyn, New York, London was raised on naval stations throughout the US and Puerto Rico. Today he lives with his wife, Maureen, and their two sons, Aaron and Sean, in rural Northern California, where they like to backpack in the summer, play in the snow in winter, and dance all year around.

Frank Remkiewicz is an award-winning illustrator and author of more than 100 children's books, including the popular Froggy series by Jonathan London. Prior to his career in publishing, he created art for posters and greeting cards. Remkiewicz lives on the Gulf Coast of Florida with his wife, Sylvia Nissley. To learn more, visit remkiewicz.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781503900356
Lexile Measure
600
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Two Lions
Publication date
December 20, 2018
Series
Duck and Hippo
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV002280 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Ducks, Geese, Etc.
JUV017070 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Valentine's Day
JUV002330 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Hippos & Rhinos
Library of Congress categories
Ducks
Hippopotamus
Valentine's Day

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