Sleepover Duck!

November 13, 2017
Previously seen in Hey, Duck! and Just a Duck?, Bramsen’s eminently fuzzy yellow duckling is having a sleepover in the barn with best friend Cat, but sleep is the last thing on Duck’s mind (“Must we nod off right now?/ Alas, I’ve just forgotten how”). After hearing a “woo-hoo” from somewhere in the barn, Duck tries to figure out who else is in the mood to party, approaching slumbering baby animals and their mothers (“Ms. Sow’s asleep. Her piglets, too./ So where’s the one who said woo-hoo?”). Young children will enjoy pointing out the culprit, a small gray owl hanging out in the periphery. Duck’s sleepover enthusiasm is infectious, and Bramsen’s illustrations have a glossy, three-dimensional quality that should help readers feel as though they are part of the fun. Ages 3–7.

January 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 1-Duck and his friend Cat are back for a third adventure-this time on a sleepover! When Duck gets permission to spend the night in the barn with Cat, he's all "a-quack." He envisions a fun evening dancing and having fun but Cat's ready to sleep. Their first attempt at slumber, however, is interrupted by a mysterious "woo-hoo." Young readers will easily figure out that it's a small owl sneaking around in the background who's making the noise, but Duck and Cat will have to investigate. They ask all of the other sleepy animals about the sound to no avail. When Duck finally wearies of the hunt and tries to fall asleep, Owl reveals himself. Rather than playing together, though, they all decide it's time to sleep. The rhyming story is at times confusing and offers nothing new for readers. But children will enjoy the rendered illustrations that make the animals look soft, fluffy, and expressive. VERDICT Purchase where the first two titles are popular.-Mary Kuehner, Arapahoe Library District, CO

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2017
Duck is ready for adventure, and Cat is willing to join in the fun. Exuberance and over-the-top enthusiasm are Duck's forte, and the little bird's excitement reaches new heights at a sleepover with Cat. Duck is ready for a jamboree, while Cat is much more laid back and mellow. Cat tries to lull Duck into a restful sleep, but the little one is wired. They hear another creature ready to party, calling "Woo-hoooo!" The two friends search the barn, encountering cows, horses, sheep, and pigs in various stages of slumber. It is little Owlette who is the source of the hoots. Owlette has been playing hide-and-seek with them, greatly enjoying the party night. (Children will easily spot the mysterious guest and will enjoy being steps ahead of Cat and Duck.) Now they are all tuckered out and ready to sleep. Cat and Duck are as delightful as ever in this third outing in the series (Hey Duck!, 2013; Just a Duck, 2015). The interspecies friends, gender unspecified, are thoroughly happy in each other's company. The tale is told in brief, simply rhymed sentences, with a different typeface for each creature's part in the conversations. Bramsen's meticulously drawn illustrations are remarkably tactile and textured. The characters' expressive facial expressions and body language perfectly enhance the action. There is a pleasing variety of single- and double-page spreads, panels, and vignettes, all in bright, colorful array. Little readers will feel the warmth of these loving, endearing friends. (Picture book. 3-6)

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