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Duck
Duck on a Bike
One day down on the farm, Duck got a wild idea. "I bet I could ride a bike," he thought.
At first he rode slowly and he wobbled a lot, but it was fun!
A duck on a bike?
From Sheep to Horse to Chicken to Goat, everyone in the barnyard has something to say about Duck's zany idea. But what are they really thinking? And what will happen next.
With pictures as bright as sunshine, and a story perfect for reading aloud, children will know exactly what to say about a duck on a bike: Read it again!
David Shannon is the award-winning writer and illustrator of many books for young readers, including 'How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball' (1994), a New York Times Best Illustrated book, and 'The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza' (1995), an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists. He also created the illustrations for Audrey Wood's 'The Bunyans' (1996), a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and an ABC Children's Bookseller' Choice award Winner.
Edition MSRP: $15⁹⁵ US / $22⁹⁹ CAN (ISBN 0-439-05023-5)
Printed in Mexico
At first he rode slowly and he wobbled a lot, but it was fun!
A duck on a bike?
From Sheep to Horse to Chicken to Goat, everyone in the barnyard has something to say about Duck's zany idea. But what are they really thinking? And what will happen next.
With pictures as bright as sunshine, and a story perfect for reading aloud, children will know exactly what to say about a duck on a bike: Read it again!
David Shannon is the award-winning writer and illustrator of many books for young readers, including 'How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball' (1994), a New York Times Best Illustrated book, and 'The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza' (1995), an American Bookseller Pick of the Lists. He also created the illustrations for Audrey Wood's 'The Bunyans' (1996), a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and an ABC Children's Bookseller' Choice award Winner.
Edition MSRP: $15⁹⁵ US / $22⁹⁹ CAN (ISBN 0-439-05023-5)
Printed in Mexico
40 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2002
53 people are currently reading
2926 people want to read
About the author
David Shannon
212 books559 followersDavid Shannon is the author and illustrator of many highly praised books for children. Born in Washington, D.C., he grew up in Spokane, Washington. He graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, with a fine arts degree, and then moved to New York City. His editorial illustrations have appeared in The New York Times, Time, and Rolling Stone, and his artwork has appeared on numerous book jackets. Shannon is a passionate baseball fan and softball player. He and his wife now live in Los Angeles.
David Shannon @ Scholastic
David Shannon @ Scholastic
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 639 reviews
December 22, 2018
Second David Shannon book today. I can see why his books are beloved. I really want to read his No Dave books.
March 31, 2020
A duck decides to give bike riding a try, and by the end of the book he has inspired all of the barnyard animals to join in. The ridiculous sight of various animals riding bikes makes this worth a read.
August 11, 2021
This delightfully humorous children's story follows duck as he borrows a bike from a little boy and goes for a wobbly ride past all the animals on the farm. The repeated patterned story line makes it easy for even a pre-reader to follow along after hearing it. The surprise ending will bring laughter to any little one as the animals all have fun.
February 14, 2018
I've heard kids ask for this one and finally was able to read it. At first, it seemed just OK. But as I imagined how I could read it in a storytime (with animal noises inflected with what they were meaning), I could see how fun this book could be. Then I reached the climax. And, yeah. I like this book a lot now.
7/20/10 & 7/22/10 Both preschool groups enjoyed this book. I was able to get the animal noises just right (which was fun for me!). The chatty Tue group talked over me here and there, but the Thu group seemed caught up in the book.
3/8/12 I put this in the middle of my age 0-5 impromptu storytime. It worked well. I didn't remember about making animal noises. But when one kid in the group said "moo" with the cow, I had the kids join in on the rest of the animals. They were totally getting ahead of me with that! But they enjoyed it and no one was distracted by that. They loved the end with all the animals on the bike. I think I shocked them with my sheep and goat impressions. :-) It's nice to have a talent somewhere! ha ha
3/28/12 Since I already had the book checked out, I decided to add it to the Duck theme I was doing. This time I started right out with the animal noises. Aside from all the animals riding the bikes, I think making the noises was their favorite part!
9/17/14 I had a mostly new group today. They've been doing Toddler, but they wanted to try out preschool. They did well, though a bit young. But in their quiet, unsure ways they still participated when I asked for animal sounds. I think that was a great way to introduce to them how I do my stories.
9/7/16 Used as opener in "Trip to Farm" preschool theme. They kids enjoyed it. A lot of newbies, and they all did well.
2/14/18 Used in F theme for Farm. Smiles from the kids. Only one or two joined me in waving at each animal.
7/20/10 & 7/22/10 Both preschool groups enjoyed this book. I was able to get the animal noises just right (which was fun for me!). The chatty Tue group talked over me here and there, but the Thu group seemed caught up in the book.
3/8/12 I put this in the middle of my age 0-5 impromptu storytime. It worked well. I didn't remember about making animal noises. But when one kid in the group said "moo" with the cow, I had the kids join in on the rest of the animals. They were totally getting ahead of me with that! But they enjoyed it and no one was distracted by that. They loved the end with all the animals on the bike. I think I shocked them with my sheep and goat impressions. :-) It's nice to have a talent somewhere! ha ha
3/28/12 Since I already had the book checked out, I decided to add it to the Duck theme I was doing. This time I started right out with the animal noises. Aside from all the animals riding the bikes, I think making the noises was their favorite part!
9/17/14 I had a mostly new group today. They've been doing Toddler, but they wanted to try out preschool. They did well, though a bit young. But in their quiet, unsure ways they still participated when I asked for animal sounds. I think that was a great way to introduce to them how I do my stories.
9/7/16 Used as opener in "Trip to Farm" preschool theme. They kids enjoyed it. A lot of newbies, and they all did well.
2/14/18 Used in F theme for Farm. Smiles from the kids. Only one or two joined me in waving at each animal.
July 16, 2013
Another adorable invention by David Shannon, one of our families favorite authors. A duck on a bike, riding past large and colorful barnyard animals got the attention of not only my 5 yr old, but my 3 yr old twins as well. This book had a little something for everyone and I would probably label it somewhere between a level 1 and level 2 book for beginner reader's. Lately, as I get more busy with instituting a lesson plan for the twins, I have my 5 yr old read books to them, and this one was perfectly enjoyable for him to read, and the pictures were so engaging, they didn't mind that their older brother didn't read as smoothly or with as many tonal inflections as Mommy did. But big brother is getting better. And any books, such as these, that keep all interested, are great additions to any library. It was a cute story too, even I didn't see what was coming at the end.
February 3, 2009
When the children all put down their bikes, the animals faces are priceless.
November 1, 2022
Yes! Riding a bike is fun! And yes, we all know we should ride bikes more. An amazing picture storybook on encouraging kids and everyone around to try riding a bike! The artsyle is classic and colourful!
November 19, 2017
Duck on a Bike by David Shannon is a story of a curious duck who tries to ride a bike one day and gets the attention of other animals during this adventure. As the duck rides past the barnyard animals, different animals think about this adventure as silly, brave, dangerous and some others call the duck a show off. Suddenly, when a group of kids run into the barnyard and leave their bikes outside, all the animals ride the bike just like duck did.
This story can be used in k-3 classrooms to teach different things. I have seen my placement teacher use this book as a mentor text to teach organization. She used a graphic organizer with this picture book. This story combines adventure with humor and a variety of reading and writing activities can go along with this book. We learned from our readings that prediction questions during read alouds build comprehension. The author uses repetition of sentence structures with different animals as the story progresses. Repetition helps with prediction. Similarly, the organization of the story can help with fluency. I really like this book and in my teaching practice I will use it for read alouds. I am also planning to use it as my text for reader’s theater to build fluency.
This story can be used in k-3 classrooms to teach different things. I have seen my placement teacher use this book as a mentor text to teach organization. She used a graphic organizer with this picture book. This story combines adventure with humor and a variety of reading and writing activities can go along with this book. We learned from our readings that prediction questions during read alouds build comprehension. The author uses repetition of sentence structures with different animals as the story progresses. Repetition helps with prediction. Similarly, the organization of the story can help with fluency. I really like this book and in my teaching practice I will use it for read alouds. I am also planning to use it as my text for reader’s theater to build fluency.
December 20, 2010
I have this book memorized now. I think it's my 3 year old's favorite book. It has surpassed even "Goodnight Moon".
The illustrations are worth buying this book for, and the story is a bit silly, but 3 year olds love silly.
Duck lives on a farm, and decides he's going to ride a bike. As he rides around the barnyard, gradually getting braver by riding no "hands", no "feet", and standing on the seat, the other animals take observation and greet him or say non-helpful things to him. He almost runs over chicken. Sheep tells him to be careful. Cat is snotty, Horse is snarky. The only animal that seems impressed is Mouse.
Every time I read this book, I notice something new in the illustrations. The frogs hiding in the pigpen, sometimes the bell is missing on the bike, the goat is eating his own bike's basket...I love David Shannon's work.
Also, this is a great read out loud book. I remember reading this three or four years ago to Kindergarten classes. Different animals = different voices. Good for groups of kids or just one silly kid.
The illustrations are worth buying this book for, and the story is a bit silly, but 3 year olds love silly.
Duck lives on a farm, and decides he's going to ride a bike. As he rides around the barnyard, gradually getting braver by riding no "hands", no "feet", and standing on the seat, the other animals take observation and greet him or say non-helpful things to him. He almost runs over chicken. Sheep tells him to be careful. Cat is snotty, Horse is snarky. The only animal that seems impressed is Mouse.
Every time I read this book, I notice something new in the illustrations. The frogs hiding in the pigpen, sometimes the bell is missing on the bike, the goat is eating his own bike's basket...I love David Shannon's work.
Also, this is a great read out loud book. I remember reading this three or four years ago to Kindergarten classes. Different animals = different voices. Good for groups of kids or just one silly kid.
March 15, 2022
10/10 picture book. Gets kids in storytime laughing everytime.
March 28, 2014
This particular story provokes the deliberation: is it possible one's favorite book and the book one can hardly stand to finish be one in the same? If this is, indeed, theoretically possible, Duck on a Bike covers each end of the spectrum fully. From the very beginning, each page allows the reader to delve into the world of a new and different farm animal. From Cow to Horse to Pig to Mouse, the different voices and sounds create a beautiful symphony of bewilderment and adoration for the ever-talented duck for whom this book is titled.
…that is, until those obnoxious kids ruin the story by riding their bike right through the last few pages. From that point on, there are no new animals, no new sounds. The symphony turns to a disjointed cacophony and no matter how quickly or excitedly Mama reads the meaningless words, it does not make up for the fact that she is no longer making hilarious animal noises. So, yes, this is my favorite book. But don't bother with the last three pages. No, just... no, no.
…that is, until those obnoxious kids ruin the story by riding their bike right through the last few pages. From that point on, there are no new animals, no new sounds. The symphony turns to a disjointed cacophony and no matter how quickly or excitedly Mama reads the meaningless words, it does not make up for the fact that she is no longer making hilarious animal noises. So, yes, this is my favorite book. But don't bother with the last three pages. No, just... no, no.
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February 19, 2022Text- to- Self Connection
In this book Duck got a wild idea to ride a bike, and all the farm animals were questioning if they really saw a duck on a bike. Later in the book there were a lot of kids that went into the barn house, leaving their bikes outside. Duck had such an influence on the other animals, they grabbed the children's bike. This is a connection for me because I remember having the wild idea of riding a "speed bike," where you can't just stop the bike by pushing the pedals back. Nevertheless, before I crashed I enjoyed the bike ride and passing everyone on the way down the street (comical to me now).
In this book Duck got a wild idea to ride a bike, and all the farm animals were questioning if they really saw a duck on a bike. Later in the book there were a lot of kids that went into the barn house, leaving their bikes outside. Duck had such an influence on the other animals, they grabbed the children's bike. This is a connection for me because I remember having the wild idea of riding a "speed bike," where you can't just stop the bike by pushing the pedals back. Nevertheless, before I crashed I enjoyed the bike ride and passing everyone on the way down the street (comical to me now).
January 29, 2024
I will always love this book and read it in the voice of my grandpa. I will never forget when it was my turn to have a mystery reader come in and my grandpa walked into the class. A shade was pulled down over the door so the mystery wasn’t revealed before they walked in. I remember the quiet right before he opened the door and how excited I was when I saw it was him. He really delivered. I remember his silver watch as he turned the pages. I remember him driving me home and leaving school early that day. I remember reading this book over and over again with the same inflection as him. I remember reading it to my little brother and hoping to do it as well as my grandpa did. I look forward to telling my children about their great grandpa and reading them this book.
June 30, 2019
Cute at times, tedious at others. Duck decides to ride a bike around the farm. The other animal think it's odd. The book is mostly an animal and sounds book. Then more kids with bikes show up and the other animals decide to give it a try.
October 24, 2018
A hilarious, whimsical, action-packed picture book. My grandchild loved having me read this story to him.
April 3, 2020
This book is the 2nd funniest book I have ever read!
October 28, 2020
This was a favorite book for my preschoolers. I read it again and again. The silliness of animals riding a bike was a favorite and illustrations are wonderful.
August 16, 2021
A fun silly book.
July 15, 2022
4,25 sterren - Nederlandse hardcover
Leuk voor de kleinkinderen maar ook voor de voorlezer. De humor is geweldig!
Leuk voor de kleinkinderen maar ook voor de voorlezer. De humor is geweldig!
April 28, 2021
Small paragraphs of text with animals sounds.
October 17, 2011
David Shannon's Duck on a Bike is hilarious. A duck on a farm is staring at a bike. "I bet I could ride a bike," he thought. He was wobbly at first, but eventually got pretty good. He kept driving by different animals on the farm. Some were jealous. Some told him to be careful. Some were impressed. Then, several kids came storming in on their bikes and parked them outside the house to visit. All of the animals then praised Duck for his awesome idea as all the farm animals started riding on bikes.
The illustrations were beautiful. Shannon truly had some wonderful scenery in the book. The story truly starts with the frontispiece. It has the duck staring a shiny red bike while scratching his chin. Then story as continues with "The End" page, where the duck is then staring at a tractor. This book is fun and will make a great read-aloud. Great for preschool to 3rd grade.
*NOTE* I used this book as my read aloud.
The illustrations were beautiful. Shannon truly had some wonderful scenery in the book. The story truly starts with the frontispiece. It has the duck staring a shiny red bike while scratching his chin. Then story as continues with "The End" page, where the duck is then staring at a tractor. This book is fun and will make a great read-aloud. Great for preschool to 3rd grade.
*NOTE* I used this book as my read aloud.
February 5, 2014
One day Duck was on a farm and got a wild idea. "I bet i could ride a bike," duck said. So he waddled over to where this boy had a parked bike, got on it and started riding the bike through town. At first Duck rode slowly and wobbled a lot, but it was a great time! As duck proceeds to keep riding, he passes a cow, a sheep, a horse and a bunch of other farm animals. All thinking it was very silly that duck was riding a bike. Suddenly after a huge group of kids start riding their bikes down into the barn house, leaving the bikes outside. Now all the animals can ride bikes, just like duck!
I would tie this into my classroom with outside recess. Before the kids went out to play, i would read them this book and then let them go outside to ride bikes and develop gross motor skills.
I would tie this into my classroom with outside recess. Before the kids went out to play, i would read them this book and then let them go outside to ride bikes and develop gross motor skills.
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March 19, 2012This is literally the pinnacle of literary achievements. Nothing has ever been as good and nothing ever will be. Don't even bother trying to read another book. You know as you do, your heart is softly crying. You'll feel upset and won't realize why. It's because you made the wrong choice. You put Duck On A Bike down. Never put Duck On A Bike down. Never.
April 18, 2012
A hilarious book, quite on par with No, David! but the illustrations this time are beautiful and the duck's facial expressions are to die for. My 3 year old loved this book and he was totally on to the twist at the end!
May 16, 2016
One of my favorite duck books for story time. 4/20/11
Still a hit, was checked out after story time. 5/16/12
Still a huge hit with the children identifying the animals (except the goat) and making all the animal sounds. 4/21/15
A hit again in story time.
Still a hit, was checked out after story time. 5/16/12
Still a huge hit with the children identifying the animals (except the goat) and making all the animal sounds. 4/21/15
A hit again in story time.
December 24, 2020
Boring text. But terrific art. Actually this would have worked well wordless. And maybe added a bunch more bicycles to the picture after the kids rode by. The duck riding by the chicken was my favorite. The art was just plain funny, the writing tedious.
October 24, 2007
An awfully cute book about a bike-riding duck who inspires the other barnyard animals to do the same.
August 8, 2021
I legitimately don’t remember why I didn’t like this book. Mini Anna vibe checked this mf tho so I hate him 😤😤
October 5, 2015
my 3 year old love this book so much that he's practically memorized it he reads it over and over and over again
October 7, 2018
How come Duck can talk but none of the other animals can? I want to see how the mouse rode that bike. Also, why did the cat give in and get on a bike?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 639 reviews