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allmadhere106's review against another edition
5.0
For: birthday fans; readers looking for a silly book with lots of excitement.
Possible red flags: could be construed as telling stories; anxiety duck.
Possible red flags: could be construed as telling stories; anxiety duck.
lauriehnatiuk's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to the authors for providing a digital copy.
Our narrator is a very conscientious duck who is excited to be attending a friend's birthday party with other animal friends. Duck wants us to know that a lot of thought and effort went into getting the perfect present for the friend - which appears not to be the case with some of the other guests attending the party.
What I like about the book is the gender neutrality of the characters which allows readers to be able to see themselves as the main character. Using animals is a clever and common way to way to not have specific gender stereotypes and sometimes this is overlooked and could be used as a point of discussion when talking about the author's choice of using characters.
The variety of attempts for the perfect gift are brought to life by illustrator extraordinaire Cale Atkinson. The vibrant colours and variety of pages definitely add to the story and readers will enjoy the humour and fun found in the illustrations.
I also appreciated the creativity and perseverance of duck. I think a lot of young readers will be able to connect to the many different ideas Duck comes up with and will be able to relate to when things do not go as planned. The emotion and tone evoked by Mr. Atkinson in the image of Duck saying "I have nothing." is a page where I would spend time talking with older readers looking at colour, space, text placement and design. So much to appreciate!
Despite things not going well and having nothing to give to the friend we learn about an unexpected twist as there truly is a present - maybe more than one. A delightful author debut by a CANADIAN husband and wife team along with renown storyteller Cale Atkinson - a fine addition to your classrooms and libraries.
Our narrator is a very conscientious duck who is excited to be attending a friend's birthday party with other animal friends. Duck wants us to know that a lot of thought and effort went into getting the perfect present for the friend - which appears not to be the case with some of the other guests attending the party.
What I like about the book is the gender neutrality of the characters which allows readers to be able to see themselves as the main character. Using animals is a clever and common way to way to not have specific gender stereotypes and sometimes this is overlooked and could be used as a point of discussion when talking about the author's choice of using characters.
The variety of attempts for the perfect gift are brought to life by illustrator extraordinaire Cale Atkinson. The vibrant colours and variety of pages definitely add to the story and readers will enjoy the humour and fun found in the illustrations.
I also appreciated the creativity and perseverance of duck. I think a lot of young readers will be able to connect to the many different ideas Duck comes up with and will be able to relate to when things do not go as planned. The emotion and tone evoked by Mr. Atkinson in the image of Duck saying "I have nothing." is a page where I would spend time talking with older readers looking at colour, space, text placement and design. So much to appreciate!
Despite things not going well and having nothing to give to the friend we learn about an unexpected twist as there truly is a present - maybe more than one. A delightful author debut by a CANADIAN husband and wife team along with renown storyteller Cale Atkinson - a fine addition to your classrooms and libraries.
abigailbat's review against another edition
An enthusiastic duck tries to get a birthday present for the reader, but all his great ideas somehow fall flat in this comedy of errors.
libraryrobin's review against another edition
3.0
A friend tries to get the perfect gift and ends up with nothing-except the story of trying to get the perfect gift.
mrs_mazzola_reads's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! It was sweet, funny, had a great message, and the illustrations were excellent - vibrant and playful with detailed facial expressions to further the character development. Perfect for a storytime or for beginning readers who are ready to move past Elephant and Piggie.
lohn's review against another edition
4.0
I received this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a story about finding the perfect gift for a friend's birthday party. He goes through many different presents before he finds the right one, and it is fun to see all the different options he has! The illustrations really brought the narrative to life and helped me enjoy it even more. Overall, this is a cute little book that I would 100% use in future storytimes.
This book is a story about finding the perfect gift for a friend's birthday party. He goes through many different presents before he finds the right one, and it is fun to see all the different options he has! The illustrations really brought the narrative to life and helped me enjoy it even more. Overall, this is a cute little book that I would 100% use in future storytimes.
etienne02's review against another edition
3.0
Funny story but an ending that could have bring a lot more in depth and morale. An easy entertaining story but not much more.
librarianryan's review
5.0
I can not wait to read this at storytime. It will be so much fun. Duck is at a birthday party and he was going to bring the best present every, but something kept happening to it. This story full of imagination and heart. I will have you smiling from cheek to cheek. The author did such a good job at giving the duck a voice that this could be very interactive when reading to others.
#LitsyAtoZChildrens
#LitsyAtoZChildrens
booksnbookends's review
3.0
It's a charming children's story of a duck, who is determined to find the ultimate present for their friend. They've tried to find the perfect present and want to make sure that their friend is happy. There's a lovely twist at the end of the book and makes for a good conversation with a child about what really is the best present you can give. It could have had a better moral but is a simple entertaining book overall.
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