Small Readers: That's my book and other stories by Salina Yoon

[Originally published 2017]

I've reviewed the first Duck, Duck, Porcupine book and the second, My Kite is Stuck, and they just keep getting better. But I feel like they don't get enough recognition!

In this latest collection of stories, clever but silent Little Duck has to put up with the hijinks of Porcupine and Big Duck. In the first story, Big Duck and Porcupine ask to share Little Duck's stash of books when they get bored - but they just don't understand how books work! But maybe they just need Little Duck to show them what's inside the books? In the second chapter, Big Duck decides to have a talent show. Big Duck has lots of talents. Porcupine doesn't have any - or does he? In their third adventure, Big Duck gets worried when Little Duck loses his quack. She is sure he's sick because all he can say is "ARR" but little does she know Little Duck is playing a game...

Yoon's bright, primary colors stand out against a bold green and sky blue background, surrounded by sharp, black borders. The hints of scratchy black showing against the white and yellow spots add a nice touch to the art. Text is solely in dialogue balloons, bold black against white. While the text is not extremely challenging and will work well for a beginning reader, the book does require a higher degree of fluency, since a lot of the humor is shown through the interaction between the dialogue and the subtle changes in the art.

[Revisited: It looks like this was the last of the Duck, Duck, Porcupine stories, which is sad, but they are now available in paperback versions.]

Verdict: My book club kids love these and I hope they become more widespread and popular as more people hear about them. I hate to keep comparing things to Elephant and Piggie, but really they are worthy successors, at least in humor. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781619638914; Published 2017 by Bloomsbury; Borrowed from another library in my consortium