Little Quack [Hardcover]

Lauren Thompson (Author), Derek Anderson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Little Quack is a duck out of water. As his brothers and sisters splish, splash, and splosh their way into the pond behind their mama, he is left all alone on the shore. Little Quack wants to join his family. Can he find the courage to be a very small duck in a very big pond?

Count along and find out! The QUACK-U-LATOR keeps score, adding a splash of math to all the fun!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Debut artist Anderson's portrait of a quintet of plucky ducklings and their enticing pond habitat make this familiar tale memorable. Widdle, Waddle, Piddle, Puddle and Little Quack are perfectly content to remain in the nest and view the pond from afar. But Mama Duck will not give up until they take their first swim. "Come little ducklings," she says. "Paddle on the water with me." Anderson paints the pond surface as a velvety quiltwork of violets and shimmery sky blues. A clunky "Quack-U-Lator"-a purple box that runs along the bottom of every spread-keeps track of the ducks entering the water (e.g., when Widdle and Waddle are swimming, the Quack-U-Lator shows two duck icons on the left, joined by the plus sign, and the numeral 2 follows an equals sign; opposite, in capital letters, reads, "Two ducklings in the pond"). With a judicious use of repetition and an ear for both Mama's mellifluous pleadings and the squawkings of her recalcitrant crew, Thompson's (Mouse's First Christmas) text trips off the tongue. But it's Anderson's depiction of the adorable ducklings, working up their courage to join their fuzzy siblings ("You can do it,... I know you can," cheers Mama) that will keep toddlers coming back. The cocky look of the ducklings already floating, and the expression of lone Little Quack as he tentatively dips a tip of his webbed foot in the water, will make this a nursery favorite. Ages 2-6.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-This delightfully simple story is sure to become a storytime favorite. Imagine Mama Duck's surprise when her five ducklings are more than a little reluctant to leave their cozy nest for the big pond. One by one, though, she manages to coax them into the water-first Widdle, next Waddle, then Piddle, and Puddle, but Little Quack can't be budged. Eventually, after some convincing from his mother and his siblings, he dives in and-guess what-he loves it! Whether counting up or counting down, this early introduction to math provides a painless lesson, and the "quack-u-lator" across the bottom of the pages that "adds" ducklings to the pond makes it even more fun. Anderson's colorful paintings complete the package. Each duckling has its own personality and its own "feather do," too. Young readers and budding mathematicians are sure to enjoy a sense of accomplishment along with these ducklings. Little Quack may also have some bibliotherapeutic applications during swim-lesson season. Team up this charmer with Jane Simmons's "Daisy" stories (Little, Brown) and Amy Hest's "Baby Duck" (Candlewick) for a ducky time.
Jeanne Clancy Watkins, Chester County Library, Exton, PA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers; 1st edition (February 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689847238
• ISBN-13: 978-0689847233
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,129 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hi! I'm Lauren Thompson, children's book author. Please visit my website to find out about all my books: www.LaurenThompson.net

Happy reading!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ducky Fun....., April 29, 2003

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Quack (Hardcover)

"Mama Duck had five little ducklings, Widdle, Waddle, Piddle, Puddle, and Little Quack. They all lived together in a nice, soft nest. But even Mama's littlest duckling was not so little anymore. "It's time to leave the nest," she said one day..." And that means it's time to learn to swim and take that first dip in the pond. All the little ducklings are very anxious, especially Little Quack. But one by one, with a lot of encouragement from Mama, they conquer their fear and take the plunge..... Lauren Thompson's simple, repetitive text is engaging and begs to be read aloud and shared. But it's Derek Anderson's exuberant and playful illustrations that really make this picture book a stand-out. Each large, dazzling spread is filled with bold color, marvelous facial expressions, eye-catching detail, and lots of humor, that makes this a perfect selection for story time. An inventive Quack-U-Lator running along the bottom of each page introduces counting and addition, and just adds to the fun. Little Quack is a delightful, interactive, preschool crowd pleaser that's sure to become an often requested, instant favorite both at school and at home.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just like Star Wars or the Terminator (The sequels were better), March 9, 2011

By 

Jason Kirkfield "The Pride and Sorrow of chil... (Purple Mountains Majesty) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Little Quack (Paperback)

We discovered the Little Quack books out of order. As such, the bar was already set high with Little Quack's New Friend. The original, in comparison, seems a bit monotonous, just like Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.

This does have merit: not only for Derek Anderson's adorable art, but for teaching counting (1 to 5 with the "Quack-U-Lator"). Some parents may also find it useful for kids afraid to try swimming (or any new thing, for that matter).

Lauren Thompson's duck debut is for many parents an obvious purchase, sort of a modern bookend equivalent to Make Way for Ducklings. Still, we prefer Little Quack's New Friend, which offers not only a sequential story arc but a great message to boot.

First Scholastic Printing edition, March 2004

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Board Book, August 30, 2005

By 

Denise (Valencia, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Little Quack (Classic Board Books) (Board book)

I absolutely adore this book as does my 3 yr old son. It's repeatitve text, as we go thru each ducklings initiation into the pond, helps my son feel like he can actually read to ME this inspiring story. I never tire of reading it to him or him to me. The illustrations were what caught my eye at first in the bookstore. Then I browsed the book and knew I had a hit. The illustrations never cease to convey what Little Quack is feeling. Even my 9yr old son enjoyed reading it to his little quack brother! I'm here now to look at other L. Thompson books.