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The Web Files
As vegetables begin to vanish from all over the farm, Ducktective Web and his trusty partner Bill take on the case in order to stop the culprit from causing further havoc to their peaceful home. 25,000 first printing.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
July 4, 2008
This is a fun book filled with literary allusions to nursery rhymes and literary characters. Familiarity with "Dragnet" makes this even more fun to read - even if you are a grown-up!
April 8, 2015
The puns, oh the puns. Loved it all the way through.
December 11, 2018
It was fun to try to do a hard boiled detective voice as I was reading this to my son. Also full of puns and references to other stories and tongue twisters.
February 7, 2014
Booklist (May 1, 2001 (Vol. 97, No. 17))
Gr. 4-8. Unless they spend a lot of time watching "Nick at Night,"kids (or even young parents) will be hard-pressed to recognize this parody of the TV show Dragnet. Happily, that doesn't matter, because this clever, funny book stands on its own. "This is the farm,"intones Ducktective Web. "My partner, Bill, and I were working the barnyard shift."It's peaceful until the call comes from the rooster cop: get down to the henhouse to check out the theft of a chicken's purple, almost-pickled peppers, a peck of 'em--all perfect. Back at headquarters, the joint's jumping. A miss named Muffet has been tossed off her tuffet, and Peep has lost her sheep. Then the partners are called to the scene of another robbery. A horse has lost his tomatoes, and a sheep her lettuce. There's only one thing to make of all this, the cop concludes: a salad. And the logical culprit? A rat. The text perfectly captures the cadence of Dragnet while bringing in famous tag lines from other sources ("You dirty rat!"). Egielski's clever artwork, in lots of bright colors, captures most of the fun on the page, though it misses some opportunities to extend the comedy, particularly in the scenes between Web and Rat. Still, this stylized treat should bring laughs to a wide age-range of readers, who will all giggle for different reasons. --Ilene Cooper Three new picture books whisk their audiences away for a day at the beach. Although the first two are remarkably similar in some respects, each one will appeal to a somewhat different audience. The books will work well for a summer story hour; read just one, or read them all.
Horn Book (May/June, 2001)
While the jacket illustration of two ducks, brandishing a badge and sporting felt fedoras, might indicate that the title refers to their feet, Ducktective Web's opening lines give more than a passing nod to his namesake: "6:32 a.m. This is the farm. My partner, Bill, and I were working the barnyard shift." Dragnet's Jack Webb, a.k.a. Sgt. Joe Friday, is clearly the inspiration for the lead detective starring in this witty satire. Containing references to every celluloid cop cliché from "Round up the usual suspects" to "Book him, Ducko," the book begs the question, Who is the audience? But make no mistake; this story is for children. The straightforward plot delivers an uncomplicated mystery concerning a case of vanishing vegetables ("You say to-may-toes.... I say to-mah-toes.... Somebody just hauled the whole thing off!"). After interrogating a few likely rotten eggs, the flatfoots nab the culprit, Ratzo ("you Dirty Rat"), hiding out in his hole in the wall. Although adults may enjoy the inside jokes, you don't have to know where "DUM DE DUM DUM" comes from to enjoy singing it, and the lampoonery not only encompasses grownup fare but also covers familiar preschool territory, with multiple allusions to fairy tales and Mother Goose. Returning to headquarters, the two police officers describe their overwhelming caseload: "A miss named Muffet had just been tossed off her tuffet and a gal named Peep was missing some sheep." Egielski's illustrations lend energy to the caper, showing the deadpan ducks hot on the trail of the best barnyard adventure since Old MacDonald took inventory.
Horn Book starred (Fall, 2001)
Jack Webb of "Dragnet" is clearly the inspiration for Ducktective Web, the lead detective in this witty satire. The straightforward plot delivers an uncomplicated mystery concerning a case of vanishing vegetables. The lampoonery includes familiar preschool territory, with multiple allusions to fairy tales and Mother Goose. The illustrations lend energy to the caper, showing the deadpan ducks hot on the trail.
Publishers Weekly (May 14, 2001)
This punny parody freely alludes to the TV drama Dragnet, as two "ducktectives" attempt to "quack the case" of several robberies on a farm. Each scene opens with a time of day and location, noted in hard-boiled bold print. A blotchy typewriter font suggests the gruff voice of Ducktective Web, a white-feathered, fedora-capped "flatfoot." Web reports that a chicken's "peck of... perfect purple almost-pickled peppers" has been stolen, a sheep is missing some lettuce and Little Boy Blue has an alibi (oddly, potential pepper-pincher Peter Piper goes unmentioned). Headquarters swarms with storybook characters: "A miss named Muffet had just been tossed off her tuffet and a gal named Peep was missing some sheep. I noticed that three little kittens had lost their mittens. They began to cry." Ultimately, in a rather anticlimactic finale, a "dirty rat" (literally) gets the rap. Egielski (Jazper; Hey, Al) sets the police drama in a spotless barnyard, where a "wanted" poster pictures a wolf, and three blind mice lodge a complaint about their bandaged behinds. The illustrator's bright sky-blues and straw-golds counteract the claustrophobic, mock-tough narration. From the intermittent "dum de dum dum" sound effect to the catch-phrase "Book him, Ducko," Palatini (Ding Dong Ding Dong) mimics classic detective television and adds a nursery-rhyme twist. But the gags may be best appreciated by an adult audience. Ages 4-7. (May) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
School Library Journal (November 1, 2001)
Gr 2-3-There's trouble in the barnyard: a peck of perfect, purple, almost-pickled peppers has been purloined; a tub of tasty tomatoes, taken; a load of luscious, leafy lettuce, lifted. What to make of it all? Salad, obviously-but who's responsible for this country crime wave? Looks like a job for Ducktective Web and his feathered sidekick, Bill. Nattily attired in snappy fedoras and brightly colored blazers, the Birds with the Badges cruise from crime scene to crime scene, round up the usual suspects, and finally catch That Dirty Rat red-handed, or, to be more precise, garlic-mayo-dressing-breathed. "Book him, Ducko. His salad days are over." Even younger children will recognize and join in on the closing "DUM DE DUM DUM/DUM DE DUM DUM/DUM!" Egielski constructs a setting of neatly drawn, rustic mean streets, and Palatini leaves no crime-show trope ungoosed: give them both a Pullet Surprise.-John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Gr. 4-8. Unless they spend a lot of time watching "Nick at Night,"kids (or even young parents) will be hard-pressed to recognize this parody of the TV show Dragnet. Happily, that doesn't matter, because this clever, funny book stands on its own. "This is the farm,"intones Ducktective Web. "My partner, Bill, and I were working the barnyard shift."It's peaceful until the call comes from the rooster cop: get down to the henhouse to check out the theft of a chicken's purple, almost-pickled peppers, a peck of 'em--all perfect. Back at headquarters, the joint's jumping. A miss named Muffet has been tossed off her tuffet, and Peep has lost her sheep. Then the partners are called to the scene of another robbery. A horse has lost his tomatoes, and a sheep her lettuce. There's only one thing to make of all this, the cop concludes: a salad. And the logical culprit? A rat. The text perfectly captures the cadence of Dragnet while bringing in famous tag lines from other sources ("You dirty rat!"). Egielski's clever artwork, in lots of bright colors, captures most of the fun on the page, though it misses some opportunities to extend the comedy, particularly in the scenes between Web and Rat. Still, this stylized treat should bring laughs to a wide age-range of readers, who will all giggle for different reasons. --Ilene Cooper Three new picture books whisk their audiences away for a day at the beach. Although the first two are remarkably similar in some respects, each one will appeal to a somewhat different audience. The books will work well for a summer story hour; read just one, or read them all.
Horn Book (May/June, 2001)
While the jacket illustration of two ducks, brandishing a badge and sporting felt fedoras, might indicate that the title refers to their feet, Ducktective Web's opening lines give more than a passing nod to his namesake: "6:32 a.m. This is the farm. My partner, Bill, and I were working the barnyard shift." Dragnet's Jack Webb, a.k.a. Sgt. Joe Friday, is clearly the inspiration for the lead detective starring in this witty satire. Containing references to every celluloid cop cliché from "Round up the usual suspects" to "Book him, Ducko," the book begs the question, Who is the audience? But make no mistake; this story is for children. The straightforward plot delivers an uncomplicated mystery concerning a case of vanishing vegetables ("You say to-may-toes.... I say to-mah-toes.... Somebody just hauled the whole thing off!"). After interrogating a few likely rotten eggs, the flatfoots nab the culprit, Ratzo ("you Dirty Rat"), hiding out in his hole in the wall. Although adults may enjoy the inside jokes, you don't have to know where "DUM DE DUM DUM" comes from to enjoy singing it, and the lampoonery not only encompasses grownup fare but also covers familiar preschool territory, with multiple allusions to fairy tales and Mother Goose. Returning to headquarters, the two police officers describe their overwhelming caseload: "A miss named Muffet had just been tossed off her tuffet and a gal named Peep was missing some sheep." Egielski's illustrations lend energy to the caper, showing the deadpan ducks hot on the trail of the best barnyard adventure since Old MacDonald took inventory.
Horn Book starred (Fall, 2001)
Jack Webb of "Dragnet" is clearly the inspiration for Ducktective Web, the lead detective in this witty satire. The straightforward plot delivers an uncomplicated mystery concerning a case of vanishing vegetables. The lampoonery includes familiar preschool territory, with multiple allusions to fairy tales and Mother Goose. The illustrations lend energy to the caper, showing the deadpan ducks hot on the trail.
Publishers Weekly (May 14, 2001)
This punny parody freely alludes to the TV drama Dragnet, as two "ducktectives" attempt to "quack the case" of several robberies on a farm. Each scene opens with a time of day and location, noted in hard-boiled bold print. A blotchy typewriter font suggests the gruff voice of Ducktective Web, a white-feathered, fedora-capped "flatfoot." Web reports that a chicken's "peck of... perfect purple almost-pickled peppers" has been stolen, a sheep is missing some lettuce and Little Boy Blue has an alibi (oddly, potential pepper-pincher Peter Piper goes unmentioned). Headquarters swarms with storybook characters: "A miss named Muffet had just been tossed off her tuffet and a gal named Peep was missing some sheep. I noticed that three little kittens had lost their mittens. They began to cry." Ultimately, in a rather anticlimactic finale, a "dirty rat" (literally) gets the rap. Egielski (Jazper; Hey, Al) sets the police drama in a spotless barnyard, where a "wanted" poster pictures a wolf, and three blind mice lodge a complaint about their bandaged behinds. The illustrator's bright sky-blues and straw-golds counteract the claustrophobic, mock-tough narration. From the intermittent "dum de dum dum" sound effect to the catch-phrase "Book him, Ducko," Palatini (Ding Dong Ding Dong) mimics classic detective television and adds a nursery-rhyme twist. But the gags may be best appreciated by an adult audience. Ages 4-7. (May) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
School Library Journal (November 1, 2001)
Gr 2-3-There's trouble in the barnyard: a peck of perfect, purple, almost-pickled peppers has been purloined; a tub of tasty tomatoes, taken; a load of luscious, leafy lettuce, lifted. What to make of it all? Salad, obviously-but who's responsible for this country crime wave? Looks like a job for Ducktective Web and his feathered sidekick, Bill. Nattily attired in snappy fedoras and brightly colored blazers, the Birds with the Badges cruise from crime scene to crime scene, round up the usual suspects, and finally catch That Dirty Rat red-handed, or, to be more precise, garlic-mayo-dressing-breathed. "Book him, Ducko. His salad days are over." Even younger children will recognize and join in on the closing "DUM DE DUM DUM/DUM DE DUM DUM/DUM!" Egielski constructs a setting of neatly drawn, rustic mean streets, and Palatini leaves no crime-show trope ungoosed: give them both a Pullet Surprise.-John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2021
The Web Files by Margie Palatini is a mystery picture book about Ducktective Web and his partner Bill who must investigate a series of vegetable robberies on the farm. The two must interrogate the other animals and follow the clues in order to solve the mystery.
The layout makes it a fun and intriguing read aloud because the author integrates onomatopoeia into her writing. This mystery book has a predictable layout which makes it a formula book. Each page is time stamped, so the reader knows the events are happening in chronological order and that when the page is turned, a new event will occur. In my classroom, I can see myself using this book to teach the layout of mystery books. Students can easily follow the formula layout of this story and integrate it into their own writing through modeling the pattern. I can foresee students choosing their own mystery to write about while using the time stamp structure. Additionally, the plot structure can help struggling readers follow the storyline without feeling as confused.
The layout makes it a fun and intriguing read aloud because the author integrates onomatopoeia into her writing. This mystery book has a predictable layout which makes it a formula book. Each page is time stamped, so the reader knows the events are happening in chronological order and that when the page is turned, a new event will occur. In my classroom, I can see myself using this book to teach the layout of mystery books. Students can easily follow the formula layout of this story and integrate it into their own writing through modeling the pattern. I can foresee students choosing their own mystery to write about while using the time stamp structure. Additionally, the plot structure can help struggling readers follow the storyline without feeling as confused.
picture-books
July 11, 2023Preschool Storytime
Attendees: 68
Date: 6.23.23
Theme: Mystery
Introduction and announcements: My Hands Say Hello
Book one: The Case of the Missing Cake by Eoin McLaughlin
Song/rhyme/game one: Who Took the Cookie from the Cookie Jar? (have chart with words. Hand out puppets to parents beforehand, accuse those puppets)
Book two: Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast The Case of the Stinky Stench by Josh Funk
Song/rhyme/game two: Party Freeze Game by the Kiboomers
Book three: The Web Files by Margie Palatini
Song/ rhyme/ game three: Barnyard Sound Guess
Activity: Cookie Jar Memory Game
Attendees: 68
Date: 6.23.23
Theme: Mystery
Introduction and announcements: My Hands Say Hello
Book one: The Case of the Missing Cake by Eoin McLaughlin
Song/rhyme/game one: Who Took the Cookie from the Cookie Jar? (have chart with words. Hand out puppets to parents beforehand, accuse those puppets)
Book two: Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast The Case of the Stinky Stench by Josh Funk
Song/rhyme/game two: Party Freeze Game by the Kiboomers
Book three: The Web Files by Margie Palatini
Song/ rhyme/ game three: Barnyard Sound Guess
Activity: Cookie Jar Memory Game
June 30, 2022
I haven't had a chance to try reading this to a group of kids yet, so I don't know if they would get all the humor and enjoy it as much as I do. But I loved it! Readers need a base knowledge of nursery rhymes and classic tongue twisters to appreciate all the jokes, and a familiarity with hard-boiled detective shows helps. I grew up watching Get Smart and Inspector Gadget, and I love Perry Mason as an adult. So I can hear the ducktective's voice clearly in my head. Such a fun read!
April 15, 2018
Grades: 1-2
Genre: Mystery/Fictional
When someone has stolen a batch of pickles from the farm it is up to two detective ducks to solve the crime. As we read we follow them around the farm as the crack the case. It is a fun and simple read. A unique feature of this book is the illustrations used to depict the story, offering help to new readers in using pictorial strategies to decipher words.
Genre: Mystery/Fictional
When someone has stolen a batch of pickles from the farm it is up to two detective ducks to solve the crime. As we read we follow them around the farm as the crack the case. It is a fun and simple read. A unique feature of this book is the illustrations used to depict the story, offering help to new readers in using pictorial strategies to decipher words.
June 29, 2019
This was a great read-aloud for grade 3’s mystery unit. There is a ton of language play in the story, most of which went over the students’ heads. The teachers found the jokes to be hilarious, though. There is additional humor related to old-school detective TV shows. All the elements of mysteries are in this book, which makes it useful for discussing the genre.
December 30, 2017
Two duck detectives work the barnyard shift when they are called to a crime scene.
Funny story. Fabulous illustrations to complement the story told in puns, play-on-words, and slipping in hints to nursery rhymes.
Funny story. Fabulous illustrations to complement the story told in puns, play-on-words, and slipping in hints to nursery rhymes.
February 22, 2021
Definitely feels like a book from a past generation of kid lit. It's got it's funny quirks and tongue twisters, but over all, I got a little bored. It's twice as long as most modern picture books, so this is proof that my attention span has shortened over the years.
March 19, 2023
This book is funny. I'm probably dating myself, but I was reminded of old Johnny Carson and Jack Webb skits on the Tonight show. Two Ducktectives are charged with quacking several cases. Puns and tongue twisters abound. This book would be a tough read-aloud, but a fun listen to.
Read
April 4, 2024The Web Files offers young readers an exciting adventure filled with twists and surprises. Ace Lacewing, a Bug Detective has to solve the mystery of why the insects begin to disappear. Ace Sets out to uncover the truth about the disappearances and bring the culprit to justice.
June 24, 2017
Great into to a mystery genre unit. Obviously, read prior and decide which references may not connect with student without some background.
October 1, 2018
Best, most creative, and funniest book I've ever read!
November 27, 2018
Lots of puns and alliteration.
Read
September 10, 2019such a fun book with puns and jokes in it. You could also to a writing assignment with it.
November 26, 2019
This silly story would be extremely amusing and entertaining for younger children as some "ducktectives" work to "quack" the case.
November 26, 2019
This story is a great one if students enjoy reading about mystery and animals. It is such a fun read! There are many events that happened leading up to solving the mystery in this book.
April 5, 2020
Ducktective Web is on the case of some missing peppers. Dum De Dum Dum! Puns galore and nursery rhyme characters around every corner make this a fun read aloud.
September 27, 2022
The kids don't get the Dragnet references, but they do enjoy the story! Very clever!
March 25, 2023
Tongue twisters and nursery rhyme characters collide with hard-boiled detective tropes in this funny whodunit.
June 16, 2025
This seemed like all chase and alliteration. Not sure who this is for. Development of characters is needed.
May 20, 2018
Fantasy
Modern Fantasy
Modern Fantasy
December 9, 2012
The Web Files by Margie Palatinia illustrated by Richard Egielski (Hyperion Books 2002). 29p. Mother Goose.
Summary: This is a creative story that changes up the typical Mother Goose classics. The duck is the detective and goes around to the different characters that are in the Mother Goose nursery rhymes who are having problems.
Critique:
a. This is a fun detective story. It is very creative and even gives times of the day that things are happening just like a detective story. The plot made this story great.
b. The illustrations go well with the plot of the story. Throughout the book the phrase “Dum De Dum Dum” is used. This adds to the detective story.
c. On the first page it begins with the time “6:32AM. This is the farm”. The setting is known from the very beginning. Throughout the book when characters are being questioned the time is shown. She adds in parts of the classic nursery rhymes by saying “A miss named Muffet had just been tossed off her tuffet and a gal named Peep was missing some sheep” (12). It is when Duck is questioning the different characters that the phrase “Dum De Dum Dum” is used.
Curriculum Connection: This would be a good book to read when discussing nursery rhymes and also showing students a detective type of book. When teaching punctuation this would be a good book to read as well since there a lot of quotation marks since people are having conversations quite often.
Summary: This is a creative story that changes up the typical Mother Goose classics. The duck is the detective and goes around to the different characters that are in the Mother Goose nursery rhymes who are having problems.
Critique:
a. This is a fun detective story. It is very creative and even gives times of the day that things are happening just like a detective story. The plot made this story great.
b. The illustrations go well with the plot of the story. Throughout the book the phrase “Dum De Dum Dum” is used. This adds to the detective story.
c. On the first page it begins with the time “6:32AM. This is the farm”. The setting is known from the very beginning. Throughout the book when characters are being questioned the time is shown. She adds in parts of the classic nursery rhymes by saying “A miss named Muffet had just been tossed off her tuffet and a gal named Peep was missing some sheep” (12). It is when Duck is questioning the different characters that the phrase “Dum De Dum Dum” is used.
Curriculum Connection: This would be a good book to read when discussing nursery rhymes and also showing students a detective type of book. When teaching punctuation this would be a good book to read as well since there a lot of quotation marks since people are having conversations quite often.
February 25, 2013
The Web Files by Margie Palatini, illustrated by Richard Egielski, focuses on Ducktective Web and his partner Bill as they stay hot on the trail of a vegetable stealing villain.
Egielski's detailed illustrations focus on the wide variety of colorful characters. Great sight gags add to the humor of this story. My favorite images are cock-a-doodle-doo, headquarters, three little kittens, Barn and Pen, Book him, paddy wagon, and last 3 images.
Palatini's puns are classic, and the parody of Dragnet is spot on. While some of the allusions to songs (Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, Dragnet theme), tv shows (Dragnet, Hawaii 5-O), and some folktales and nursery rhymes may not be recognized by listeners or young readers, grown-up readers will truly enjoy reading this very funny story. As a read-aloud, the chances to do a variety of voices is a gift for story tellers. Readers Theater possibilities are strong, with great alliteration and clever quips and phrases.
This moves right onto my favorite picturebook list. Highly recommended for school and public library collections.
For ages 4 and up, mystery, puns, detectives, humor, read-aloud, math, readers theater, animals, and fans of Margie Palatini and Richard Egielski.
Egielski's detailed illustrations focus on the wide variety of colorful characters. Great sight gags add to the humor of this story. My favorite images are cock-a-doodle-doo, headquarters, three little kittens, Barn and Pen, Book him, paddy wagon, and last 3 images.
Palatini's puns are classic, and the parody of Dragnet is spot on. While some of the allusions to songs (Let's Call the Whole Thing Off, Dragnet theme), tv shows (Dragnet, Hawaii 5-O), and some folktales and nursery rhymes may not be recognized by listeners or young readers, grown-up readers will truly enjoy reading this very funny story. As a read-aloud, the chances to do a variety of voices is a gift for story tellers. Readers Theater possibilities are strong, with great alliteration and clever quips and phrases.
This moves right onto my favorite picturebook list. Highly recommended for school and public library collections.
For ages 4 and up, mystery, puns, detectives, humor, read-aloud, math, readers theater, animals, and fans of Margie Palatini and Richard Egielski.
February 4, 2009
This book was, as my kids say - Elarious! (excellent and hilarious)
Wonderful literary allusions and puns. A Goodread for kids and adults.
I pretended to be the commentator on Dragnet, as I read this my youngest daughter, who also loved the book. I expected to see, "The story you are about to see is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent."
I agree that the homage to "Dragnet" will be lost on many, unfortunately. This includes my younger children who've never seen a single episode. Definitely their loss, that I'll have to make up for someday.
At the end, I very much wanted to say, "Book 'em, Danno!" (McGarrett's catch phrase to Williams on Hawaii Five-O; another great show unfortunately lost on many, just like Adam 12 and Emergency as well.)
She brought this book home as a library book. I encouraged her teacher to read it to the class as a reward for something well done, because it is very enjoyable. Also, since her class is working on reading with expression, this book gives them a great opportunity to do so. I know she enjoyed reading it with expression and saying DUM DE DUM DUM!
Wonderful literary allusions and puns. A Goodread for kids and adults.
I pretended to be the commentator on Dragnet, as I read this my youngest daughter, who also loved the book. I expected to see, "The story you are about to see is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent."
I agree that the homage to "Dragnet" will be lost on many, unfortunately. This includes my younger children who've never seen a single episode. Definitely their loss, that I'll have to make up for someday.
At the end, I very much wanted to say, "Book 'em, Danno!" (McGarrett's catch phrase to Williams on Hawaii Five-O; another great show unfortunately lost on many, just like Adam 12 and Emergency as well.)
She brought this book home as a library book. I encouraged her teacher to read it to the class as a reward for something well done, because it is very enjoyable. Also, since her class is working on reading with expression, this book gives them a great opportunity to do so. I know she enjoyed reading it with expression and saying DUM DE DUM DUM!
November 16, 2014
The Web Files is a story about two duck detectives, Ducktective Web and his partner Bill, who solve crimes throughout the farm. Recently, all of the vegetables on the farm are vanishing. The detectives need to figure out who the culprit is before all of the vegetables are gone. As they search and search for the thief, they hear many alibis. Will they ever figure out who is stealing all of the vegetables?
I think that children would enjoy the silliness of the text the most. There are phrases such as “pilfered a peck of perfectly pickled peppers” and “quack the case” which I think would amuse children. I also enjoyed the colorful illustration style of the story. I think that the broad color scheme helped portrayed the fun that the text brought.
The thing I did not like was the references to shows that were around before my time. I think that I would have enjoyed the story more if I was able to get these references. I do think that these older references could help the story more enjoyable for parents reading to their children since it would be relatable to them. Overall, while I enjoyed the goofiness of the text, I was not too crazy about the plot. I would recommend this story to those looking for a humorous tale that is not too elaborate.
I think that children would enjoy the silliness of the text the most. There are phrases such as “pilfered a peck of perfectly pickled peppers” and “quack the case” which I think would amuse children. I also enjoyed the colorful illustration style of the story. I think that the broad color scheme helped portrayed the fun that the text brought.
The thing I did not like was the references to shows that were around before my time. I think that I would have enjoyed the story more if I was able to get these references. I do think that these older references could help the story more enjoyable for parents reading to their children since it would be relatable to them. Overall, while I enjoyed the goofiness of the text, I was not too crazy about the plot. I would recommend this story to those looking for a humorous tale that is not too elaborate.
December 18, 2016
One of my professors read this book to me in college. While I loved it then, I love it even more now. When a classroom full of 25 students are absorbed for 10 minutes, laughing the whole way through, smiles growing with each page turn, I can safely say that this is a must-read for kids, young and old.
March 19, 2024
Illustrator: Richard Egielski
The layout makes it a fun and intriguing read-aloud because the author integrates onomatopoeia into her writing. If you love mystery novels and detective stories, you will love reading this book to your children. It is good to get students "quacking" up every time they read it. This is a fun book filled with literary allusions to nursery rhymes and literary characters. This book is a mystery picture book about Ducktective Web and his partner Bill who must investigate a series of vegetable robberies on the farm. The two must interrogate the other animals and follow the clues to solve the mystery. In my classroom, I can see myself using this book to teach the layout of mystery books
Publisher : Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; First Edition (May 1, 2001)
ISBN-10 : 078680419X
The layout makes it a fun and intriguing read-aloud because the author integrates onomatopoeia into her writing. If you love mystery novels and detective stories, you will love reading this book to your children. It is good to get students "quacking" up every time they read it. This is a fun book filled with literary allusions to nursery rhymes and literary characters. This book is a mystery picture book about Ducktective Web and his partner Bill who must investigate a series of vegetable robberies on the farm. The two must interrogate the other animals and follow the clues to solve the mystery. In my classroom, I can see myself using this book to teach the layout of mystery books
Publisher : Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; First Edition (May 1, 2001)
ISBN-10 : 078680419X
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews