Duck Soup
(Max the Duck #2)

Quack! Maxwell Duck is back and this time he’s making soup. Max has made lots of soups, but always from other chefs’ recipes, so he’s determined to create his own. Mmm . . .all it needs is some fresh herbs from the garden to perfect it. Meanwhile, his friends Dakota (cat), Brody (dog) and Bebe (bird) smell something good and walk into the empty kitchen. But the soup tastes funny and there’s a strange green feather floating on top (bay leaf). They’re horrified to think that Max has fallen into the soup. They dump the pot into a strainer: They find his head—no it’s just a potato; they find eyeballs—nope, just onions; they find his feet—nope, just carrot slices. Just then, Max walks in. At dinner that night, he’s very quiet, having lost his soup, until his friends tell him, “We know you’re disappointed, but at least you’re not duck soup!” Like the first Max story, Duck at the Door (January 2007), the cartoon cover is irresistible and the comical illustrations spice up the clever story. Kids will love the misidentified body parts. As silly and funny as the Marx Brothers movie of the same title. (Picture book. 4-7)

In this raucous follow-up to Duck at the Door(2007), Max the duck is back in the kitchen, stirring up soup. Displeased with the flavor, he steps outside to gather more herbs. Enter animal pals Brody, Dakota, and Bebe, who spot a feather floating in the soup and jump to a horrifying conclusion: Max has fallen into the pot. “The strainer!” shouts Brody the dog, and the team, convinced they are rescuing their friend, pours Max’s masterpiece into the sink— just as Max returns. The ending, in which the animals enjoy a take-out pizza, adds more laughs, although the abrupt introduction, on the final spread, ofcharacters from Duck at the Door will puzzle children who aren’t familiar with the first story. Urbanovic creates a slapstick delight with her wildly expressive characters and expertly conveyed physical comedy. Particularly uproarious are the animals’ reactions as they discard the soup and imagine, momentarily, that the potatoes, carrots, and onions are, in fact, Max. Like its best-selling predecessor, this is sure to be a read-aloud hit. — Gillian Engberg 

K-Gr 3Children will anticipate that something goofy is coming by a glance at the cover art: a duck in a soup pot balancing a lid on his head. Urbanovic has created a funny story in which Max's friends mistakenly believe that he is in the soup pot. Their attempts to save him ruin his meticulously prepared soup ("'AHHHHH! It's his head!' said Bebe. 'Silly! It's only a potato!' Brody replied. 'EYEBALLS! His eyeballs!' said Bebe. 'Guys, it's only tiny onions!' said Brody"), but reinforce the value of friendship. The softly outlined watercolor illustrations feature a loose style that gives freshness and energy to each scene. Children will laugh out loud at the antics in this story, which blends so cohesively with the large pictures."Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI" Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.