Mucky Duck - Hardcover

PreSchool-This slight picture book stretches a catchy phrase into a (sort of) story. Mucky Duck lives in a pond in Oliver Dunkley's backyard. Readers are told that the duck "was supposed to be white, and sometimes she was, but mostly she wasn't," largely due to her messy pursuits. From baking to soccer, painting to gardening, Mucky Duck and Oliver find myriad ways to get grubby. In the end, Oliver's parents scrub both boy and duck from head to toe. But even curled up with a good book, a glass of milk, and some cookies, Oliver and Mucky Duck manage to make a mess. Grindley's brief, straightforward text catalogs the components of each activity (baking, for example, includes "Pouring and mixing, rolling and shaping") and follows each description of an activity with the repeated refrain, "Oh you Mucky Duck!" Layton's illustrations, in contrast to the simple text, are frenetic and fun. Drawn in a deliberately childlike style, they emphasize the messes made with splatters, spills, and scribbles. Done in what appears to be a mix of watercolor, pencil, and collage, the mixed-media art carries the simple story. Parents who have a soft spot for their own "mucky ducks" may enjoy sharing this book with their children.
Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA
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