Duck, Duck, Goose
Tad Hills
Schwartz & Wade

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Entertaining Read ... Recommended ... 5 stars

We meet Goose standing very still in the meadow. There is a butterfly sitting on his head. Goose wants his friend Duck to see the butterfly. Before long Duck is seen coming his way. Duck is not alone. Duck is so excited. He has a new friend to introduce to Goose. Thistle is a little grey duck who loves puddles and can run very fast. Thistle has just moved to the area. Before long she is enjoying one up-manship, you have one butterfly, Thistle had three. You can do math, Thistle can do it better. Duck and Thistle are having a lot of fun, on the other hand Goose is not. Goose does not always want to compete or see who is fastest, loudest or best. Sometimes Goose just likes to do and do it without any pressure. At last Duck wants to find Goose and he does not want to continue to time Thistle or watch Thistle as she loudly proclaims her latest victory. The two friends chat before Thistle arrives. When she hears that the two have been thinking about a nap Thistle must show she is the best napper in the whole world, and so she was. Duck and Goose have a wonderful time as she naps and naps.

My resident critics, 4th grade, gathered to hear our latest ‘for review.’ They take their job as resident critics very seriously as they listen with care, note illustrations, judge whether the book is best suited for their age or for students older or younger. They are hard taskmasters and do not suffer poor writers or poor artists lightly. „Duck, Duck, Goose“ met every test and passed with high marks.

The children agreed the book holds listener interest, that it is probably meant for a slightly younger audience than grown up 4th graders and that the writer has a good message to present. Braggart Thistle was recognized for her boasting and showing off. Illustrations are child pleasing.

One student thought she might like to borrow the book to read to a younger sister. All agreed that boastful crowing makes for tiresome relationships. The kids all ‘got the joke’ as Thistle missed out on fun by having to continue to nap so that she could win the nap contest. The work provided discussion fodder for us as we talked about friends who have treated us in the manner of Thistle and how we don’t really enjoy their company. We talked about what makes for good friends and whether or not we need to compete on every hand.

I’ll put the book on our shelf … it likely will not be chosen for 4th grade pleasure reading; we are so grown up now as we get ready for the last quarter of 4th grade. However, we already have a waiting list of children who want to take „Duck, Duck, Goose“ ‘to read to the little kids’ in Kindergarten. We grown up 4th graders cannot admit that we too really like the book and want to read it, however if we take and read it to the little kids, our dignity is saved and that makes it okay. Ah, the intricacy of too big to be little and too little to be big.

As a teacher I really enjoyed reading the book. The volume itself is well made and will hold up to many child readings. „Duck, Duck, Goose“ is a good choice for the home library. It is a read to for the younger 3 – 6 set, a read with help for the 7 -8s and a read alone/read to you little brother/sister/friend for the 9 -10s. The book is a good addition to our classroom library.

Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.