Customer Reviews

Farmer Duck Big Book (Candlewick Press Big Book)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Ladies and gentlemen, I demand an explanation. Would someone PLEASE take the time and effort to tell me exactly why it is that I had never heard of this book until the good people of the New York Public Library placed it on their, "100 Picture Books Every Child Should Know"??? Why isn't this book being handed out to every kindergartner that walks into school on their first day? Why isn't there a "Farmer Duck" Day where we all get to take off work and revel in the sublime pleasures of this text? And why, oh why oh why, was this book never recommended to me in any way, shape, or form? Ladies and gentlemen, I place the blame fully on a nation in which Madonna can create best-selling children's books because, according to her, there are NO good books for her kids (I'm having a hard time typing as I gag), while my beloved, "Farmer Duck" remains a small perfect gem in a sea of terrible literature. But I digress.

"Farmer Duck" follows the unlikely premise of a duck that runs a farm all by his lonesome. The actual farmer in charge of the place is a lazy no good so-and-so who would rather eat bon bons in bed than take the time to do any work. While the man relaxes in his shirtless luxury (occasionally shouting out a helpful, "How goes the work?") the duck cuts the wood, weeds the gardens, washes the dishes, irons the clothing, and pretty much does everything that needs doing. When at long last the duck grows, "sleepy and weepy and tired" (what a great way to describe any child that has gone too long without a nap, by the way), the other farm animals decide that enough is enough. Joining forces they run that rotten farmer out of town and set about all doing the chores equally with the duck in charge.

The plot is good. The illustrations are brilliant. Illustrator Helen Oxenbury (thank you, oh England, for sending us such a talented artist) has taken watercolor to a whole new level. In a scene as rife with melodrama as any film noir, we see the sheep, the chickens, and the cow walking into the farm house just before dawn. Those moments before the sun has risen have never been so expertly rendered on paper until now. Oxenbury has created subtle gradations of grey and white, steeping the scene in a fuzzy day-for-night that is absolutely stunning. And the details! If you examine the scene closely you can see three watching sheep (one with head relaxing on its front hoofs) as the intrepid heroes creep away together. I'm sorry, but my written abilities are inadequate in describing this scene. Suffice to say, it's gorgeous.

What a relief to finally read a farm story in which the animals really like one another (though, technically, the farmer is the most animal-like of them all). In the canon of ducks-as-heroes picture books, place this story squarely on the shoulders of the funny "Duck on a Bike" and "Make Way For Ducklings". Any child that wants to know anything about farming will do well to read this book. I'm gushing, and I don't care. It's the best farm story ever drawn. You will enjoy every second of reading it. And that's all I have to say about that.

even two weeks after I read them the story in their second grade class. Kids love it. It has all the entry points for beginning readers, and adults love it too--for similar reasons. I've had university faculty tell me that it's the Communist Manifesto for kids (remember the centrality of labor, organization, and consciousness), that it's a Trotskyist text (note the role of the Duck at the end) and that it's a classic of feminism (note the multiple voices that had to be considered to fashion the uprising). It's a classic, from whatever interpretation, because it's full of joy, resistance, and hope.

My daughter often asks that I re-read certain books to her. _Farmer Duck_ is one that I never tire of re-reading. In this simple story of a hard working duck and a lazy farmer, we see virtue and industiousness rewarded and sloth and laziness get its deserved comeupance. Never heavy handed or violent, this book is quite charming. Significantly, it is the rest of the farm animals, who, seeing the injustice being done to the duck, band together to right the wrong. The large type and beautiful water-color illustrations are also easy-on-the-eyes and soothing for the reader, whether adult or child.

Try as I might, I just can't see a socialist or communist agenda in this pleasant little book. Likewise, I do not see this as plagiarism of Orwell's dark and history based "Animal Farm." Perhaps I am just being naive. Or it may be that I am being seduced by the art work, which is lovely and quite detailed.

True, the duck does wind up in the place of the farmer. The duck is clearly giving orders at the end of the book, and that does jar a bit. But at least he's out there with the other animals, not laying in bed and eating bon-bons.

The way that I try to present this to my daughter is as a straightforward endorsement of honest work and as a condemnation of laziness.

A wonderful story in which the good are rewarded and the lazy and selfish receive what's coming to them. It's amazing how the character of Farmer Duck can come to life and become so lovable in the short space of the book. My sons enjoyed the story and I found it really uplifting to read and re-read. It's neat how the animals use animal language too.

Fourteen years ago, as I read this simple, entertaining, and richly illustrated tale to my children, I'd have never imagined the literary and political controversy that has flared among Amazon reviewers.

*Farmer Duck* is just as inclined politically towards the Protestant Work Ethic as it is towards Socialism. The lesson in this short and simple tale is that lazy and unproductive people will eventually get their come-uppance. Personally, I find it has more of a `French Revolution' flavor but without the guillotine and the violence.

As I read their comments, I find some reviewers are reading a different book than I.

The farmer is portrayed as a lazy and unproductive human because he IS a lazy and unproductive human. He calls from his bed and chair "How goes the work?" rather than put his pants on and go outside like a proper supervisor to view the work in progress.

The animals chase the lazy farmer out of the farmhouse. They don't lay a feather on him. He doesn't resist to defend his 'rightful ownership'. He just runs away, coward that he is..

On the literary analysis level, let's keep things in context. The microcosm presented here is 'Farmer Duck', not *Animal Farm*. Plagiarism? Come on. Comparing the *Farmer Duck* 'philosophy' to *Animal Farm*'s is like comparing a pair of garden shears to a corn harvesting combine.

What makes *Farmer Duck* such a good tool is it's the kind of story that you as a parent can talk with your kids about. Ask them what they felt about the relationships between the farmer, duck, and the animals. Ask them how each character's behavior affected them. Having a dialogue with your children about a not-so-black-and-white subject might open doors of opportunity for you as a parent and allow you to share with them what YOU think about it.

Or you can just read it to/with your kids, have fun, and enjoy this excellent story by Martin Waddell and imaginative pictures by Helen Oxenbury.

A brilliant story of a hard working duck and the animal friends who free him from the tyranny of a lazy farmer. A favorite with my eight year-old son as well as my two year-old daughter, Farmer Duck combines clever writing with captivating illustrations. It's a rare book that bears reading over and over again. Farmer Duck is sure to be a classic.

This book lets you teach 44 vowel-spellings with 213 vocabulary words.

Martin Waddel spins a delightful tale of justice on the farm in Farmer Duck. You bond with the poor over-worked duck instantly, and loathe the lazy farmer shouting, "How goes the work?" Children and parents alike will appreciate this little red hen story with a twist. The duck's barnyard companions rush to his aid to reclaim what is rightfully theirs, all the while communicating in animalese. This is a perfect "first time" book for your emergent reader as well as a delightful bedtime story for children of all ages. Helen Oxenbury's soft watercolor illustrations are lovely and will lull you into Waddel's magical world each time you enjoy this unique story with your loved ones.

My daughter loved the book. But, better yet it helped mommy out! When I'm feeling like the duck (which was too often) & my husband is acting like the farmer, I simply start quacking & he starts helping!