Duck, Duck, Moose! by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen; illustrated by Noah Z. Jones; Disney/Hyperion, 2014. 32 pages; $16.99 (hardcover); reading level: ages 2-5.
The text on each page of this story about three friends – two ducks and a moose – couldn’t be more spare: You guessed it – “Duck, Duck, Moose.” The illustrations tell the tale of Duck and Duck (careful, neat, meticulous) and Moose (who tends to trip, spill things, and crash through walls). Duck and Duck banish Moose from the house while they secretly prepare a party for him but when all is ready, Moose has disappeared. When he’s found, quietly crying on a log outside, he’s kissed and hugged and coaxed back into his surprise party…where he promptly trips and creates havoc. The theme (friends can be very different from one another) is warm, and the bright, detailed illustrations are as readable as the two-word text. This one’s a winner for the lap audience.