Duck, Duck, Goose!: (A Coyote's on the Loose!) [Hardcover]

Karen Beaumont (Author), Jose Aruego (Illustrator), Ariane Dewey (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Duck, duck, goose . . .
A coyote's on the loose!
Goose, goose, pig . . .
And he's really, really big!

Follow a gang of wacky farm animals as they run from a...well, they aren't quite sure what it is, but it be a coyote. Karen Beaumont's cumulative verse and Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey's brilliant illustrations will have readers laughing all the way to the surprise ending.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1--It's on the loose. It's really big… and it might be a coyote. The rhyming verses build to a crescendo as different farm animals flee from a mysterious creature, which, except for its eyes, is concealed by a pile of leaves. The illustrations alternate between close-ups of each startled beast, scenes showing all of them running for safety in a frightened mass, and views of their mysterious pursuer. The contagion of fear from the unidentified threat grows with the building intensity of an impending rainstorm, tugging readers along to a dramatic climax--and a surprise ending. Aruego and Dewey use bold paints as varied as a child's imagination to color their comically rendered farmyard animals. A suspenseful romp that will strike a chord with children.--Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. When a dirt-and-stick-covered blob emerges from a mucky mud puddle and starts following nearby farm animals around, they jump to an upsetting conclusion: "Duck, duck, goose . . . / A coyote's on the loose! / Goose, goose, pig . . . / And he's really, really big!" From duck to goose, goose to pig, pig to pup, and so on, news of the prowler spreads in chanting verses that echo the familiar playtime game. Though fairly wispy, the plot of this read-aloud will hold up under repeat performances; the first time through, kids will enjoy the surprise of the coyote's true identity (a bunny in need of a bath); the second time, they'll chuckle over the animals' silly paranoia. Veteran illustrators Aruego and Dewey, whose stock-in-trade is chipper, cartoonlike artwork for preschoolers, capture the story's humor with their startled-looking, amorphously shaped barnyard animals. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (February 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060508027
• ISBN-13: 978-0060508029
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 11.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #806,520 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

KAREN BEAUMONT's picture books include Being Friends, illustrated by Joy Allen, and Louella Mae, She's Run Away!, illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger. She lives in San Martin, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Suspense & Silliness - 2 1/2 yr old loves it, April 28, 2008

By 

R.L.T. (Portland, Or) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Duck, Duck, Goose!: (A Coyote's on the Loose!) (Hardcover)

My daughter never seems to tire of this one and I'm trying to pinpoint exactly why.

I think the main reason my daughter enjoys this book is because the rhymes are not only catchy, but they also really help move the little plot along. It goes from from "Duck, duck, goose, a coyote's on the loose!" to "Goose, goose, pig, and he's really, really big!" to "Pig, pig, pup, he's going to eat us up!" etc, etc. Each page these new animals are added to the group who are running away from the "coyote." In the end turns out that the "coyote" is only a friendly bunny covered in leaves who is running after them because he wants to play.

There is just the right amount suspense and silliness, created by the chase and crazy stuff the animals do to try to escape, for a toddler/young preschooler to enjoy. And because the rhymes lead from one to the next, my daughter memorized the entire text very quickly (not just the ending words that rhyme).

I have to give this author lots of credit for writing a nicely-paced story for very young children. And the illustrator did a nice job of giving the appropriate clues on each page to help a child follow the rhymes and learn the story.

This was a hurried, random pull off the library shelf but I was very pleased with the result!

5.0 out of 5 stars A new favorite, October 5, 2010

By 

Dimitri's Dad - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Duck, Duck, Goose!: (A Coyote's on the Loose!) (Hardcover)

My son quickly fell in love with this book. At first he assumed the coyote was actually the big bad wolf, but after a couple of readings he had the story memorized and anticipated each transition. I highly recommend this as it has become a bedtime staple in our home.

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the most annoying books ever, July 7, 2009

By 

rainmakr (Omaha, NE) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Duck, Duck, Goose!: (A Coyote's on the Loose!) (Hardcover)

When I first read this to my daughter, I thought it was one of the most annoying and pointless kids books ever. However, she really enjoyed it when she was between 3-4, and even wants to read it now sometimes (she's now 5). My two year-old son insists that this story be read every night.

Who am I to complain? It's better than watching Thomas...