Duck at the Door by Jackie Urbanovic

One of my all-time favorite picture books is Duck Soup. It's got humor, cool illustrations, a great read-aloud, and ducks. Ducks are good. Somehow, I missed out on the fact that it's a sequel!

Look, look, another one came first!

It's a peaceful winter night in Irene's house...until the animals hear a knock at the door. Irene and her friends take in Max the duck, teach him how to live in their house, and become good friends....but then Max starts being a bit exhausting to live with. Fortunately, it's spring, and Max is on his way....but the animals quickly discover they can't live without him and wait eagerly for winter...when Max has a big surprise for them!

The pictures are warm and the colors shift to show mood. In the first spread, as Max toils his way through the snow and the animals sleep in the dying warmth of the fire, the colors are gray and white outside and soft, dark browns inside. As Max becomes part of the household, he becomes more rambunctious, interacting with the many other animals.

I will definitely be using this funny and warm picturebook in my storytimes this winter! (possible storytime themes include: ducks, migration, hibernation, friends, and just for general fun)

Verdict: Highly recommended! You should definitely have all the duck books in your picture book collection [update - there are easy readers now too!]


ISBN: 978-0061214387; Published January 2007 by HarperCollins; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library; Added to my personal wishlist