My Kite Is Stuck! And Other Stories

Duck, Duck, Porcupine!

by Salina Yoon

Salina Yoon continues her Geisel Honor-winning early reader series starring Big Duck, Little Duck, and Porcupine, perfect for fans of bestselling series like Elephant & Piggie, Ballet Cat, and Pig in a Wig.

Loud and in-charge Big Duck, quiet and clever Little Duck, and friendly and gentle Porcupine return in another delightful trio of stories. First, Big Duck and Porcupine are so busy building her lemonade stand that they forget one very important ingredient. Next, when Porcupine and Little Duck make a new friend Big Duck feels left out. Can they find a way to include everyone? And lastly, after Big Duck gets her kite stuck in a tree, Little Duck's smart suggestion will save the day! These three friends may be different, but they always find a way to have lots of fun.

Don't miss these other stories by Salina Yoon!

Duck, Duck, Porcupine series
Duck, Duck, Porcupine
My Kite Is Stuck! And Other Stories
That's My Book! And Other Stories

The Penguin series
Penguin and Pinecone
Penguin in Love
Penguin's Big Adventure
Penguin on Vacation
Penguin and Pumpkin
Penguin's Christmas Wish

The Bear and Floppy books
Found
Stormy Night
Bear's Big Day

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Friendship, Childrens, Fiction, Humor, Graphic Novels

64 pages, Hardcover

Published January 10, 2017

About the author

Salina Yoon is an award-winning author/illustrator of over 150 books for children, including Penguin and Pinecone, Penguin on Vacation, Penguin in Love, Penguin and Pumpkin, Penguin's Big Adventure, Found, and Stormy Night.

Her latest book, Be a Friend, was a Winter 2015-2016 Kids' Indie Next Pick. Among her other awards are a Scholastic Teachers Top 10 Picture Book for Penguin's Big Adventure, and an NPR Best Book and 2014 SCIBA Book Award for Best Picture Book for Found. (complete list is on the website ABOUT page)

She studied art and design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and now lives in San Diego with her family.

www.salinayoon.com

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who does not love a good story about three animal friends playing together? This small collection of three short stories will warm the heart of any new reader, as well as some of those who are well-versed.

1) My Kite is Stuck!
When Big Duck announces that her kite is stuck in a tree, it's Porcupine to the rescue, or is it? Soon a ball and hula hoop are also wedged in the tree? Only Little Duck as a solution that will work, though it is surely unconventional.

2) A New Friend
When Porcupine announces that he has a new friend, Big Duck explains that a big cannot be considered a friend. That said, Porcupine makes quite the case, as does Little Duck, for bugs being considered great friends. Turns out, Big Duck can be persuaded with the right evidence.

3) Best Lemonade Stand
Big Duck, Little Duck, and Porcupine want to make a lemonade stand, but need to plan ahead. When they are ready for business, they forget a key aspect of their business plan, forcing them to scramble. In the end, they are the talk of the town... and their collective thirsts are quenched.

Neo enjoyed these stories and hopes new readers will like them too. So much to see and easy to read words for all!

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Geisel Honor award winner wasn't bad at all. I liked "King and Kayla" better, but this was good. Porcupine and Big Duck are the morons and talk a lot. Little Duck is the smart one and talks very little but usually saves the day or looks on in disbelief at what the other two do. There are three chapters in this book. I liked the simple vividly colored illustrations. I do think the two morons are too stupid. A little bit of nuance would have been nice. I think the kids at the reader level can handle more subtle characters, even if this one is likely going to get the giggles. More of a 3.5 stars, but I rounded up.

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really cute book with three short stories kids will like.

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evelyn read this aloud with great animation. Such a cute one!

[Robin Rockman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Duck needs new friends

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second Duck, Duck, Porcupine! book continues the refreshing humor of the first. Familiar characters return with Big Duck leading the way, often into confusion. Porcupine joins in. Little Duck is quiet and wise, though no one ever pays him any attention. The book is made up of three short stories. The first story faces the problem of a kite stuck in a tree and their unique and very silly solution to the problem. The second story is about what happens when the characters make new friends, with bugs. Finally, there is the problem of the excitement of the lemonade stand and Big Duck and Porcupine forgetting one important ingredient: the lemonade!

Yoon has a great touch with humor. She allows each joke to play out just long enough to get all of the joy out of it and then briskly moves along to the next story. The stories are entertaining and fun, each of them written for beginning readers to enjoy with adult help or on their own. The three characters play beautifully against one another and will appeal to young readers.

The art is bold and bright. It reminds me of comic panels with its thick black outline on each double-page spread. The speech bubbles add to that feeling as well, making this almost a graphic novel for new readers, but not quite. I particularly enjoy the moments when Little Duck breaks the fourth wall and looks out directly at the reader for sympathy.

Funny and full of laughter, this emergent reader almost-graphic-novel is just right. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

[Bridget F · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Kite Is Stuck! And Other Stories, by Salina Yoon, is a Caldecott Honor Book. It is about three animal friends and their adventures. One of their adventures involves getting their toys stuck in a tree, the next adventure is about befriending bugs, and their third adventure is about making a lemonade stand. One thing that really added to this story was the facial expressions of the characters. So often their true emotions and thoughts were shown simply by the look on their face in the illustrations. The illustrations are also vibrant and the drawings are outlined in bold black lines. This book is a great way to introduce young students to graphic novels. I would use this book for independent practice or fluency. Also, this could be used to teach making inferences because of the facial expressions of the animals. Students would need to infer how the characters are really feeling based on the picture.

[Carlie Lattanzio · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has three short stories about three friends. A Big Duck, Little Duck, and Porcupine. In the first story, Big Duck’s kite gets stuck in a tree and all the friends are trying to get it down. In the second story, Porcupine becomes friends with a bee and Big Duck does not like that at all. In the last story, the animals decide to build a lemonade stand but forget the most important part. The little duck comes up with an idea and saves the day.

[Joshua Grimes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little too formulaic for me. The book is aimed at young children, therefore it was never going to be anything revolutionary. The artwork stuck out to me more so than any other aspect of the book. The lines are thick and the paint is bright and attention drawing, which is appropriate for the target age group. I also enjoyed the artwork and text being set up in a similar fashion to a comic book strip.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well for some reason I did not like this book, like I love the other books by this author.

The 1st of the 3 short stories in this book is too similar to the book Stuck by Oliver Jeffers, perhaps that was distracting to me.

The stories are humorous to the point of silliness, that is what I enjoy about this author's books.

The illustrations are bright and colorful, a good early reader.

[Justin Langlois · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this one up because it was an honorable mention for one of this years children's book awards. I'm so glad I did! Three very cute and funny short stories. I actually found myself laughing out loud at the first story! Definitely worth the 5 minutes it took to read.

[AMY · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has three stories in it. Brightly colored illustrations that look like a graphic novel. Dialog is going on with a duck, chick and porcupine who are trying to solve everyday problems. There are funny moments throughout the book. I think kids will like it. Recommended for Grades 1-3.

[Michele Knott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that Salina Yoon makes her early chapter books into smart stories. They appeal to readers and they don't simplify the message. Kids will appreciate that.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literally laughed out loud at the first story. This is such a fun early reader series! I especially like that each book has three chapters (or episodes) to follow.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, an ALA Notable Book, has brightly colored illustrations and consistent characters throughout all three stories. It is done in cartoon style with speech bubbles. The book has humor and suspense as the group (Big Duck, Little Duck and Porcupine) tries to get Big Duck's kite down out of the tree. Big Duck and Porcupine are satisfied with staying in the tree to play with the toys they tried to get the kite down with, after Little Duck provides the ladder. in Story 2, Big Duck shows that people change their minds when she claims she won't play with a "boring BUG!" and ends up playing with a ladybug. When little duck ends up with a spider on his nose Big Duck proclaims she is glad Little Duck made a new friend. That is, after his running from the spider was called playing tag. The humor wasn't lost on me but I am not sure about kids understanding it. Story number Three, "Best Lemonade Stand," is adorable. Again, humor is injected when Little Duck mistakes a lemon for a crayon. Cooperation is displayed as they get ready. But when Little Duck works hard to make the lemonade they discover they forgot, Big Duck proclaims that the curtains she contributed made the difference. The book is full of contradictions and silliness.

[Barbara Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

All three stories feature the same three main characters, Little Duck, Big Duck and Porcupine. In the first story, Big Duck gets his kite stuck in the tree. His two friends try to help, but only make the problem worse. Children will laugh at the silly solutions the characters invent.

The second tale revolves around Porcupine making friends with a bug. Big Duck and Little Duck discuss the qualities needed in a friend and try to persuade Porcupine why he can't be friends with a bug. There is a surprise ending.

In the third story, the three friends decide to build a lemonade stand. They model cooperation, patience and hard work. Of course, there are a few hiccups and lots of humor when the friends forget about the main ingredient needed for their success.

These stories employ speech balloons with dark text and brilliant digital illustrations that fill the page. I would recommend it to preschoolers and kindergarten beginning readers. Each story can be enjoyed separately for beginning readers with shorter attention spans.

[Meghan Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very easy collection of three short stories combined into one book. I would recommend this for children under the age of about 7 years old due to the very easy text and big, large easy to recognize illustrations.
"My Kite is Stuck"- A cute story about animals all throwing objects into a tree to try to get the previous object to fall. They all ending up getting stuck in the tree and eventually they all climb a ladder to get their toys out of the tree.
"A New Friend"- The animals are the same as the previous story but now it is them making new friends with bugs such as bees and ladybugs. They mention that bugs are bugs and are not friends. Some disagree and mention how fun they are and that they love to share!
"Lemonade Stand"- My personal favorite out of the three. All of the animals decide to create a lemonade stand with a sign and curtains and it was definitely a nice lemonade stand! When their first customers come up, they forgot the lemonade. Quickly, they make the lemonade and it ends up being the best lemonade they've all ever had!

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yoon, Salina. My Kite is Stuck and Other Stories, PICTURE BOOK. Bloomsbury, 2017. $9.99.

This book contains three very short stories about friends, Big Duck, Little Duck, and Porcupine. In the first, Big Duck’s kite gets stuck in a tree and all the friends have to band together to get it down. In the second story, Porcupine becomes friends with a bee and Big Duck has an opinion about that. In the last story, the animals decide to build a lemonade stand, but forget the most important part: the lemonade. Little Duck saves the day.

This set of stories was so much more humorous and enjoyable for me than the last set. This set has a much nicer flow and comprehension. These books are set up so that the story is created through the word bubbles that the characters speak.

PRE-K, EL (K-3)- ADVISABLE. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...

[Brooke Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Kite is Stuck! And Other Stories follows the adventures of Duck, Little Duck and Porcupine as they solve tasks and adventure throughout this book. This colorfully simple picture book, and lively dialogue transports the reader into the trio's adventures and keeps them hooked as they try to solve life's problem like how to get a kite out of a tree, decide if bugs can make good friends, and make a lemonade stand! The witty humor, simple text, and constant dialogue would make this book appealing in any classroom that's introducing literature to young readers. A fun way to use this text in a way that could build them up to better understand more complex literature in the future is to ask them to find the moral of each short story, to question them on what they would do if they were one of the characters, or to challenge them to make their own short story based on the elements they see within these ones!

[Anakaren]

This book contains three different stories , the first one being where the duck gets his kite stuck. His friends the Big duck and porcupine try to help and at the end they get the kite back down . The second story is about a porcupine making a new friend and showing a little and big duck. But his new friend is a bee which both ducks do not believe a bee can be a friend. At the end the porcupine proves that abee can be a friend and they all play together. The last story is about how they decide to make a lemonade stand. They all come together to make it happen showing group work. This is the best lemonade they have ever had and are very successful with getting customers as well. This book is very creative in using the same characters and creating different stories with them . For students this a great book that talks about friendship and teamwork where we can share our stories of working in teams. The illustrations are full bleed and the colors are mostly primary colors.

[Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another perfect beginning graphic novel for our youngest readers. Salina Yoon's bright characters rival Gerald and Piggy in a unique way. Just when you think they have the problem solved, they make matters worse, or do they?

Loud and in-charge Big Duck, quiet and clever Little Duck, and friendly and gentle Porcupine return in another delightful trio of stories. First, after Big Duck gets her kite stuck in a tree, Little Duck's smart suggestion will save the day! Next, when Porcupine and Little Duck make a new friend Big Duck feels left out. Can they find a way to include everyone? And lastly, Big Duck and Porcupine are so busy building her lemonade stand that they forget one very important ingredient. These three friends may be different, but they always find a way to have lots of fun.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing in this exciting paper over board reader format, award-winning author/illustrator Salina Yoon's early readers are perfect for fans of bestselling series like Elephant & Piggie, Ballet Cat, and Pig in a Wig.

Loud and in-charge Big Duck, quiet and clever Little Duck, and friendly and gentle Porcupine return in another delightful trio of stories. First, Big Duck and Porcupine are so busy building her lemonade stand that they forget one very important ingredient. Next, when Porcupine and Little Duck make a new friend Big Duck feels left out. Can they find a way to include everyone? And lastly, after Big Duck gets her kite stuck in a tree, Little Duck's smart suggestion will save the day! These three friends may be different, but they always find a way to have lots of fun.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my bedtime reading book for my two grandchildren last night. They were not happy to hear the book because they thought it was a baby book. My grandchildren are Aryana 9 years old and Christian 5 years old.

This book had 3 short stories in it With a Duck, a Duck and a Porcupine as friends playing together. First they managed to get a kite stuck in the tree, then a ball, then a hoola hoop, then porcupine, then a short ladder. Both children laughted so hard when porcupine got stuck in the tree!

When we were finished with the book they both said it still was a baby book, but they enjoyed it and we all will recommend it to our friends.

[Annie DeLuco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had three short stories within in. each story had the same characters and similar settings, but the what happened in the story was different. the first story was about Big Duck losing his kite in the tree. Little Duck and porcupine try to help him get the kite down, but only end up getting more stuck in the tree. They end up coming up with an alternate solution, which is getting in the tree. This story shows that even if you cannot get something resolved one way, that does not mean there is no solution. You can think of other ways to fix the problem you are facing. The illustrations in this book are so cute!

[Alyssa Drajic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple words and sentences are used throughout the book. This would be a good read for grades kindergarten through first grade. The main character little Duck gets his kite stuck in a tree. He has to use problem solving to get his kite down from the tree. Using a teacher led discussion, a discussion can be held among students on brainstorming ideas of how little Duck can get his kite down from the tree. The illustrations throughout the book uses bright friendly colors. This book is also about making new friends. This book has a soft cover but the material is high quality. I enjoyed this story and would recommend it.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Kite is Stuck! and Other stories is a playful book with quality writing and illustrations that provide clues to the text. The size of the font is great and the length of the sentences are easy enough that I think this is an excellent version of an easy reader book. Some of the vocabulary could be challenging, but with the brilliant illustrations and profound use of onomatopoeia, early readers would be able to read this book successfully. This book is the recipient of a 2018 Geisel Honor Award.

[Kara Pushay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book that included three different story lines to it. I liked how each story was short but all included the necessary details for a story. The illustrations are defiantly more kid-friendly. I would love to read this to the two year-old kids at my day care. The pictures are very large and test are relatively short. Just by looking at the pictures you can tell the audience that this book is aimed for. The last aspect of the book that I loved is how the big duck, small duck, and porcupine were all friends and got along. This was a way to make the book entertaining.

[Maxine Fife · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about a group of animals that get their belongings stuck in a tree and have to work together to get them down from the tree. After many attempts to get the kite, the ball, the hoolahoop, and the small ladder out of the tree, Porcupine uses a taller ladder and climbs into the tree to remove all of the toys. I really thought this book was cute and well illustrated. I think it would be a good book for young children because it includes other short stories similar to this one. This book was easy to read as well.

[ปุ้ย อัลฟาเบท · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is good for beginner readers. It is easy and enjoyable with comic style make it more fun to read. The illustrated is bright and colorful. This is one of best selling author at my shop.

สำหรับเด็กที่กำลังเริ่มอ่านได้ หนังสือเล่มนี้เนื้อหาตลก เหมาะกับวัยที่กำลังอยากจะอ่านเอง เล่มนี้แบ่งออกเป็น3เรื่องสั้นๆ ด้วยการเล่าเรื่องแบบcomic ทำให้เด็กรู้สึกสนุกกับการอ่านและอ่านเองได้ไวขึ้น คุณ Salina Yoon เป็นนักเขียนที่ลุกค้าชอบ และหนังสือของเค้าขายดีทุกเรื่องค่ะ
FB: ปุ้ย อัลฟาเบท หนังสือเด็กภาษาอังกฤษ

[Sarah Alamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Sarah! We're so proud of you for reading such a wonderful book about friendship! Big Duck, Little Duck, and Porcupine showed you that friends can be different but still work together to solve problems. GoodreadsAmazon You learned that when friends help each other - like Little Duck helping get the kite down - everyone has more fun! Now you can use this idea when playing with your friends at school. When someone needs help, you can be like Little Duck and think of smart ways to help them. Great job reading, honey!