Farmer Duck

Candlewick Storybook Animations

by Martin Waddell

There once was a duck who had the bad luck to live with a lazy farmer. While the duck worked, the farmer lay in bed - until one day the other animals decided to take action! The result is highly satisfying - Animal Farm for young children - and lots of fun to read aloud.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Friendship, Storytime, Fiction, Humor

33 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1992

About the author

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_W...

Also writes under the pen name Catherine Sefton

Martin Waddell is the author of more than one hundred books for young readers.

Awards: Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing (2004).

Reviews

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, everybody reads so much into what they read these days. Maybe this was a take on Animal Farm, maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was about capitalism, maybe about communism. Whatever. I liked the stupid book, I liked the stupid pictures, and I liked the stupid quacking. Ok? So sue me.

And my kids liked it too. Maybe if we're lucky one of them will rise up and wipe out the middle class.

[Gwennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite experience reading this book aloud to a group of children: After I was done, I told them that when they are older, they may want to read the continuing story of the animals, in a book called "Animal Farm". I made the teacher snort. Hee

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book begins on the inside cover, with a dull coloured picture which is full of foreboding. The repetitive wording goes down very well with children, who love to join in after a few reads. The story is heart wrenching and we do not like the human farmer. However it shows team work and support, and the inside back cover has the same picture but in brighter more positive colours, making us happy with the ending.

[Liam Mernagh]

Farmer Duck is a wonderfully illustrated and funny book from Martin Waddell that tells the tale of the hardworking duck who does everything from feeding the cows to shooing the hens safely into their coop at night without a rest. When the farmers incessant question of ‘how goes the work?’ gets too much for duck, his friends the cow, sheep and hens, who love duck very much, have a meeting with all the other farm animals to find a solution to ease poor ducks plight and rid themselves of the lazy farmer. The illustrations by Helen Oxenbury are as integral to the story as the words and convey so beautifully the humour of Waddells story and touching affection of ducks friends that make this a book that children will want you to read again and again. Children who read this story will learn how working together and helping out friends is the right thing to do and ultimately reaps rewards whereas being lazy like the farmer won’t get you very far. This book would suit children aged between three and eight as it allows children of the younger age to join in with the story ringing out the melodic chorus’ while allowing the older children to practice their readings.

[Judith Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! Husband commented - it's like a Communist manifesto! Looking forward to reading it to my grand-daughter. She likes ducks!

[Tym · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art is really well done with a humorous note and just the right balance detail and simplicity. The story is a good one of a farmer who gets lazy when he learns he can send his duck to do all his work but the other animals of the farm aren’t happy with this turn of events and decide to do something about it. It’s almost like a child’s version of the opening few chapters of Animal Farm.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Farmer Duck is a short story about a hard-working, loyal duck whose good nature is taken advantage of by a very lazy farmer. The little duck works all day, while the lazy farmer stays in bed. The cow, sheep and hen, are all friends with the duck and grow very annoyed at the farmer. They make a plan to help the duck escape the clutches of the farmer. Although the animals do not speak, instead we read the sounds they normally make. For example, throughout the book the farmer asks the duck, “How goes the work?” and the duck replies, “Quack!” We also see the written sounds of what the other animals say, “Moo!” “Baa!” and “Cluck!”
When this book is read aloud to a class, it is very enjoyable and quite funny for the children. The illustrations in the book are also beautiful and children will thoroughly enjoy looking at the pictures. I feel this book is aimed at EYFS/KS1 due to the use of repetition and sounds (A great tool to potentially develop phonics!) Although, I feel anybody who reads this book can enjoy its simple, entertaining story. This book is also great for encouraging children with personal development. Questions can be asked such as, “How do you think the duck feels having to do all the work?” “Do you think the farmer is being fair to the duck?” and “Why did the duck’s friends get involved?” Overall, this is a lovely story with a happy ending which children will enjoy.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love an abused animal that spends all his time farming? I adored this book when I was younger and to this day still shout “How goes the work?!” from my bedroom window if my Mother is gardening outside.

In my opinion every child in the world should be read this daily. Although it may lead to an obsession with the Harvest Moon franchise and an unrealistic life dream of living on a farm that looks after itself.

[Beverlee Jobrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!

[Orla Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely tale of friendship which tells the story of a poor duck who does all the work on the farm and acts as a slave for the lazy farmer. The other animals grow sick and tired of seeing their poor friend working so hard all the time. As a team, the other animals plot against the lazy farmer in order to free their friend.

I saw this acted out by a reception class for a School assembly. The nature of the story ensures that all children can have a role to play - there is no limit to how many cows, hens and sheep can be on a farm! We also spent a great afternoon planning and making the costumes required for the performance. The values of teamwork and friendship are evident throughout the story and can be highlighted and discussed by children.

[jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was read at preschooler story time while out regular librarian was away. He kidded before he started that it was socialist. Or, at least I thought he was kidding! This book is the perfect precursor to reading Animal Farm. While its still just a children's story mostly featuring farm animals as many books do, the way it leads up to the conclusion is very similar to the first chapter or two of Animal Farm.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor duck! The lazy farmer just stays in bed all day long reading the newspaper (tabloids?)and eating boxes of candy. And to make matters worse, each time Duck does a chore, Farmer yells out "How's the work going?" All the hoeing, gardening, taking care of the other animals, ironing, washing dishes, cooking are really wearing Duck down. The other farm animals really like Duck, and so one day they come up with a plan for helping him out. And what a plan it is!

I love Farmer Duck. I remember reading it to my Kiddo when she was young and we had lots of discussions about it. Helen Oxenbury's watercolor illustrations really communicate Duck's feelings and his weariness as he takes care of the farm despite the fact that all he ever utters is Quack. The slovenliness of the farmer and the empathy the other animals feel are also well represented mainly by facial expressions. There is a true revolutionary spirit in this wonderful tale that seems to reflect today's world more than was intended, I'm sure. I was so happy to see this classic reissued for today's young readers. I know they will Quack along with duck every time it's read.

[Sue Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor duck is fed up with doing all the work on the farm while the lazy farmer eats chocolate in bed. So, 'moo', 'baa', 'cluck', the other animals hold a moonlit meeting to sort things out.

[Ashley]

Beautiful art but I almost cried because the duck was so exhausted and overworked. 🥺 Not my kind of story and it was hard seeing the duck so sad.

[Eve Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

no notes

[newyorksense]

kidz bop animal farm???????
too many shots of the shirtless farmer we get it

[Fatemeh ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

اگر محمدسجاد به خاط عکس کشائرز روی تخت، مغزم را نمی خورد که مامان چرا لباس نپوشیده، حتما و ختما یک 5 کله گنده نصیبش می شد

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have just bought this for my small grandchildren. With lively illustrations and a lot of repetition, it is perfect for their growing interest in French.

[Jacqui · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was trickier than others I have read but it was good, it challenged my Italian.

[Chloe Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very interactive book to get the children involved with and big bright pictures to engage them. raises some issues such as inequality to possibly discuss with the class.

basically reminds me of a short, child’s version of Animal Farm!

[Ian McHugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked reading this with the girls. They loved shouting "QUACK!". Love that there is a bit of politics here about throwing off the yolk of the oppressor...

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Empathetic barnyard friends come to rescue of overworked duck by running off the lazy farmer who exploits him. Socialist revolution for younger children. This is the 25th anniversary edition.

[Nyam · Rating 3 out of 5]

O que eu mais gosto deste livro são as lindas ilustrações, quanto à história, gostaria que fosse mais elaborada, tem muitos quacks e mééés... mas tem uma boa moral. E eu adoro o patinho ♡

[Tara O']

Farmer Duck written by Martin Waddell and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury is a fabulous children’s book. There once was a duck who had the bad luck to live with an extremely lazy farmer. While the duck worked hard all day every day, the farmer used to lie in bed, eating chocolates, getting fatter and fatter. “How goes the work?” the farmer asks. “Quack!” says the duck. This was the arrangement every day. That was until one day when the other animals decided to take action! You see, the duck was their friend. They loved the duck dearly and they were very upset that he was being taken advantage of by the farmer. Will the farmer learn his lesson? Read and see…
The text in this book is simple and spare but it carries a powerful message. Through reading this story, children will learn how working with friends and helping friends out is the right thing to do. Whereas, being like the lazy farmer won’t get you very far in life. The pictures are very expressive. They clearly portray the duck slaving away in the farm yard and the lazy farmer slobbering around inside the farm house. They are an integral part of the story and they also express the strong affection that the ducks friends have for him.
This book would be suitable for children in Reception right up to children Year 2. In reception children can enjoy the beautiful pictures and learn all about farm animals and the sounds they make. In Year1/2 children can study the importance of story structure in this book - the introduction, the middle and the end. Children can write character descriptions and discuss issues in the book such as selfishness and friendship.

[Anna Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of poor Farmer Duck. He works hard on a farm all day and all night, while the lazy farmer lies in bed and eats chocolate. However, by the end of the story the lazy farmer gets his commupence when the other farm animals decide to teach him a lesson!
This was another book that I read with the Reception class I worked with during SEB as one of their core texts. The children absolutely loved this story, and I really liked reading it to them because the story lends itself well to some interesting conversations with the children about how Farmer Duck was feeling at various points throughout the story, and why. This story could also be used during a circle time perhaps to encourage the children to think about being a good friend and the sorts of qualities you would expect to find in a good friend. This was a great story to use with the children to encourage them to extend their vocabulary from simply saying 'happy' or 'sad' - by the time the children had finished studying this book they were able to use vocabulary such as 'frustrated', 'weary', 'anxious' and 'joyful' to describe Farmer Ducks emotions (with adult support)! Furthermore, the additional activities that you could use related to the story as well are also endless - for example, the children could dress up as characters from the story and role-play parts of it, or we did a carpet session where the children thought of some fun activities for Farmer Duck to do if he had a day off - they really enjoyed this session and used their imagination well to come up with some fantastic ideas.

[Sarah Shanahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There once was a duck who had the bad fortune of living with an extremely lazy farmer. The duck did all the work and the farmer stayed in bed all day reading the newspaper and eating chocolate. The duck fetched the cow from the field, brought the sheep from the hill, put the hens in their house. The farmer would shout from the house - 'How goes the work?' the duck would answer with a 'QUACK!' The farmer got fat from staying in bed all day and the poor duck got fed up from doing all the work. The other farm animals hated seeing duck so tired and miserable and so they hatched a plan - 'Moo!', 'Baa!', 'Cluck!' and that was the plan.

Children will sympathize with the duck who is being mistreated. Waddell does a good job of making the reader feel sadness and empathy. The illustrations are fantastic and it isn't any wonder this book got awarded Illustrated book of the year. The illustrations go from gray and gloomy, when the duck is doing all the work, to bright and sunny, when the farmer gets his comeuppance.

This book would be a great way to introduce a discussion on responsibility and fairness.

I would recommend this book to be read to KS1 and for Yr 3 and Yr 4 to read on their own.

[Sharn Samra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Farmer Duck is a well-written book by Martin Waddell. The story is about a hard working duck that does all the chores on the farm while the lazy farmer lies in bed scoffing chocolate. While the duck works all day at the farm, the Farmer shouts out, “How goes the work?” The duck replies, “Quack”. Exhausted by all the work, Farmer Duck shares how he is feeling with the other animals on the Farm. The other animals hated seeing the duck so exhausted and miserable so they decided to take action. The animals all got together, crept into the farmer’s bed and chased him out of the farm.

The book carries an important message of working hard and helping your friends out when they are in need. I read this book to a Reception class who thoroughly enjoyed looking at all the pictures and repeating the sounds and phrases that the Farmer Duck and the Farmer made. The children also discussed what their favourite part of the story was and why. I used this book to discuss how Farmer Duck was feeling in different parts of the book. I personally enjoyed reading about the reverse roles of the Duck and the farmer duck, which beats a tradition tale of a Farmer. An excellent read and great way to introduce feeling vocabulary to young children.

[Mark Jepson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Farmer Duck proved to be a very enjoyable read for my Reception/Year1/Year2 class in SEB. This story was used over a two week period (Unit 3 - Recounts) and the children seemed as engrossed in it by the end of the unit as they were at the beginning.

The story centres around a duck (Farmer Duck) completing all of the jobs on the farm whilst the 'lazy farmer' sits back and does nothing to help.

Eventually, the other animals decide to do something to help Farmer Duck and they do this by sharing the jobs out equally among themselves. Towards the end of the story, the animals chase the lazy farmer away & enjoy the rewards of their labour together.

It is easy to see why this book is sometimes referred to as 'The Communist Manifesto for children' as it highlights the ideal of people working together to achieve more than they can on their own. As such, this book is a nice story to read to a class to reinforce the value of teamwork.

[Aine]

Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell is a wonderful book that tells the story of a young Duck that is struggling with all the work on a farm because the lazy farm does no work at all. The farmer continuously asks the Duck how the work is going with the repetitive phrase 'How goes the work'. However, the farm animals care kindly for the Duck and decide to help the Duck out while teaching the farmer a lesson.

The Ducks friends come together to help him out and relieve him if all the work. It teaches the lesson that your friends are always there to help you and that working together can help everyone.

It is a truly enjoyable book with beautiful illustrations by Helen Oxenbury, which only add to the already brilliant story.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a lazy farmer who sits in bed all day long and let's his duck do all the work. The duck soon gets fed up with this and rally's all his farmyard friends together to think of a plan. They decide to get rid of the lazy old farmer once and for all...

This book would be nice to use during a teacher led activity because it works nicely if the words are read aloud and maybe if the children start joining in. There is a lot of repetition within the book including the word 'quack' and various farm animal noises which the children will find fun.

Farmer Duck would be suitable for a Y1 class as the words are not too difficult and it deals with responsibility and being nice to each other.