School Library Journal
( March 01, 2012; 9781423151289 )
"K-Gr 2-Duckling, familiar to readers of The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! (Hyperion, 2004), asks politely and receives a cookie with nuts. Incredulous, Pigeon rants about the many things that he has asked for and failed to receive-a chance to drive the bus, hot-dog parties, a walrus, one more story, his personal iceberg, etc. In classic Pigeon fashion, the lovably emotional bird relates the unfairness of it all through a hilarious monologue until finally exploding in clenched-fist (or, rather, clenched-wing) anger. But every pigeon has his day, for the duckling offers him the cookie (never mind that Duckling doesn't like nuts), and he accepts the gift with gracious humility. Confident, un-ornamented strokes characterize Willems's seemingly simple illustrations. Postures and expressions are spot-on, conveying the nuances of Pigeon's feelings and the comedy in his passionate behavior. While just plain fun to read aloud, this book is an excellent conversation starter on the topics of politeness and making reasonable requests. This meta-tale that references the gamut of the Pigeon oeuvre will please fans and newcomers alike.
-Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted."
Reaction to review- Overall, I liked this author's review. I was glad to see that this review from School Library Journal stated that this would be a great read aloud with children. As I read the book, I had to laugh at how many fun voices and ridiculous body motions could be used when reading with students!