Duck, Duck, Dinosaur. Kallie George. Illustrated by Oriol Vidal. New York, NY: Harper (Distributed in Canada by Harper Collins), 2016. 32 pp., hardcover, $21.99. ISBN 978-0-06-235308-5. Kindergarten-grade 2 / Ages 5-7. Review by Karyn Miehl. **** /4

In this charming book, a mother duck�s eggs hatch to reveal three unlikely siblings: two ducks and a dinosaur. Even so, mother duck feels very lucky to have a �big, happy family� and loves all three of her children.

�I AM big,� said Feather. �I am full of bigness.�

�I�m big, too! I�m big too!� said Flap.

Feather fluffed herself up. �But I am bigger,� she said.

�Now, now,� said Mama. But the ducklings kept arguing. They didn�t notice that the last egg was rocking slowly. Back and forth. Back and forth.

Crack!

�Big!� And he was.

With a quack and a kiss, Mama named him Spike. Spike smiled at his sister and brother. �Oh what a sweet family,� said Mama.

     Duck, Duck, Dinosaur has become a fast favourite for my five-year old daughter. Every time we read it (and she does look through it on her own as well), she laughs at Vidal�s adorable digital illustrations and can recite the text. There is a subtle message of acceptance in this story: mother duck and the duck siblings accept, and do not question, Spike even though he looks so very different from them.

     Feather, the oldest duckling, is very self-focused; Flap, the second duckling, does his best to keep up with his older sister; Spike, the youngest, is the scene stealer. For example, when Feather brings Mama a flower, Flap wants to show his �sweetness� too, and so he brings Mama a bouquet. Spike outdoes them both, though, by bringing Mama a tree, roots and all.

     Even as a parent who has read Duck, Duck, Dinosaur numerous times with my own child, I enjoy the story immensely and love that my own kids pick up this book to peruse on their own.

Highly Recommended.

Karyn Miehl, a mother of two and a secondary school English teacher, lives in Kingsville, ON.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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