Daisy and the Beastie

By Jane Simmons

Year: 2000

Publisher: Orchard Books, London

Age: 4 - 8 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN:  978 1 84362 274 1

Daisy has just heard her favorite story about a Beastie on a farm. She teams up with Pip to look for it on their farm. They look in the chicken coop, among the geese, in the barn, in the meadow, the pigsty and the orchard.

They, finally, hear strange noises from the shed and think they’ve found the Beastie …

Young children will find this book lively as they’ll get to make a whole lot of animal noises – coo, chirp, wee, buzz, beep and more! :-)

Excerpt

“The Beastie might be with the chickens,” said Daisy.

“Cheep, cheep,” chirped the chicks.

“Cheep,” said Pip.

“… or hiding with the geese.”

“Beep! Beep!” said the goslings. 

Duck, Duck, Goose

By Tad Hills, Wikipedia

Year: 2007

Publisher: Boxer Books, Great Britain  

Age: 3 - 6 years

No. of Pages: 40

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN:  978 1 90625 032 4

Goose’s idyllic life is disrupted by the arrival of the aptly named Thistle, a boastful little duck. Goose is appalled that his best friend, Duck is in awe of his new buddy.

The duo are goaded into doing stuff they don't even like - hold their breath, stand on their heads, hop on one leg and several other maneuvers aimed at making Thistle look good. Soon, Duck and Goose have had enough.

They think up a clever ruse to keep Thistle engaged – they have a nap contest and decide that the winner is whoever falls asleep first and the longest. Of course, Thistle wins while Duck and Goose do the stuff they love most – listen to the river, feel the breeze, look for butterflies, and kick a ball around the meadows.

This is an adorable series and the illustrations are fantastic! :-)

Excerpt

Just then Goose heard twigs snap and leaves rustle. He watched his butterfly flutter away.

One of the bushes came Duck and Thistle.

“You missed it, Duck,” said Goose. “A butterfly was sitting on my head.” 

Other books in this series:

•   Duck and Goose
•   Duck and Goose: How are you feeling?
•   Duck and Goose: 1,2,3
•   Duck, Duck, Goose
•         Duck and Goose Colors
• 
  

Duck & Goose: What’s up, Duck?

By Tad Hills, Wikipedia

Year: 2010

Publisher: Boxer Books, New York

Age: 2 and above

No. of Pages: 24

ISBN:  978 1 90715 205 4

This vibrant, colorful picture book of opposites features an adorable duck and a goose. A part of me wished it was a story… The illustrations are just too cute!

Other books in this series:

•   Duck and Goose
•   Duck and Goose: How are you feeling?
•   Duck and Goose: 1,2,3
•   Duck, Duck, Goose
•         Duck and Goose Colors

Ducking for apples

Text: Lynne Berry

Illustrator: Hiroe Nakata

Year: 2010

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, New York 

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 28

ISBN: 978 0 80508 935 6

The title “Ducking for Apples” is merely a play on words because the story is about five little ducklings that set out bicycling one fine day and chance upon an apple tree. That means snack, a pie and a cake. :-)

The vibrant watercolor illustrations burst with innocence and gush of energy that only little ones enjoy.

Excerpt

Three little ducks cut fruit in slices,

Mix with sugar, toss with spices.

Two little ducks press sticky dough

Down in the dish where the fruit will go. 

Icky Little Duckling

Author: Steve Smallman

Illustrator: Tim Warnes

Year: 2011

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Age: 2 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978 1 84895 133 4

Now this is a book that many parents will identify with. :-)

Meet neat and fastidious Mr. Rabbit who chances upon a perfect blue egg. He decides to take it home to add to his collection. However, much to Mr. Rabbit’s dismay, the egg hatches and an icky, little duckling emerges. It calls him ‘mama’.

Mr. Rabbit’s life is turned upside down!

This is a perfect book, a gem, if I may say so. The text is light and lively and the illustrations are 'just so' right. :-)

Excerpt

Back in his burrow, Mr. Rabbit scrubbed and polished until everything was as neat as before.

His books were just so.

His boxes were just so.

And his collection was tip-top, totally just so.

Who’s for dinner?

Author: Claire Freedman

Illustrator: Nick East

Year: 2012

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978 1 84895 488 5

Simply hilarious. Must read. And see, I might add – the illustrations are uproarious too!

City Fox lands up at a friendly little farm where Hen, Duck, Lamb and Bull live ‘hap-hap-happy’ lives.  

Terrified at the prospect of ending up as the City Fox’s meal, the farm animals come together to outfox the predator. :-)

Excerpt

Fox trembled in terror.

“You? A ch-ch-chicken?” he whimpered.

“But I thought foxes were meant to EAT chickens!”

Bull snorted and pointed his huge horns right at Fox.

“If foxes EAT chickens,” he bellowed “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?”

Tell me a story, Mummy

Author: Carl Norac

Illustrator: Mei Matsuoka

For Ages: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 30

Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books, London

Year: 2007

ISBN: 978-1-40502-189-0

This bedtime tale is just about that – bedtime and child’s little quirks before going to sleep.

Salsa, a happy little goat, can’t quite go to sleep. She tries to wake the birds, ducks and cows but they are all fast asleep. Finally, she enlists the help of Cork, the sheep who fails to help her.

Finally, Salsa wakes up her mummy. Soon, she's off to sleep, exhausted but happy.    

This book had to have been written by a parent. :-)

Excerpt

Now Salsa’s mummy was really cross.

“I've had enough of this, Salsa. What kind of story do you want?”

“I want a sweet, gentle story to send me to sleep,” said Salsa.

“A story as sweet as grass … as sweet as flowers … and as sweet as the evening sun.”

Animal Neighbors - Duck

Author: Stephen Savage

For Ages: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books, London

Year: 2005

ISBN: 978-1-43584-988-4

The Animal Neighbors series which includes books on bats, swallows and toads, is a good way to introduce children to the animals they see around them.

This book on ducks, specifically the prolific mallard duck, traces its journey from birth with brief snippets about food, habitat and threats.

The language is a bit grown-up so parents will need to be around for the reading when it’s for children younger than 8. The threats section has some disturbing (for very young kids) pictures that might need to be explained by parents to their younger children. (I skipped the page. I was not sure if my tiny tots (2 and 4 years old) were ready to see pictures of dead ducks.)

Excerpt

In towns and cities, mallards can be found on ponds and boating lakes. These ducks are quite happy to live close to humans, where there are fewer natural predators and more food is available, and they nest and rear their young there. 

This and That

Text: Julie Sykes

Illustrations: Tanya Linch

Year: 1996

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Age: 3 – 6 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN:  978 1 85430 916 1

It’s a beautiful day at the farm and it's just right for Cat’s special surprise. 

She borrows Horse’s stable, straw from Pig, hay from Goat, wool from Sheep, a few feathers from Hen and a purple ribbon from Donkey’s hat. The animals are curious but Cat responds with a cryptic “This and that.” 

They decide to hide in the yard to find out what Cat is up to. They all get a very pleasant surprise.

Excerpt

“May I have a few of your feathers?”

Hen stopped scratching and cocked her head curiously. “You may,” she clucked.

“But whatever for?”

“This and that,” purred Cat.   

Dawdle Duckling

Author: Toni Buzzeo

Illustrator: Margaret Spengler

For Ages: 2 and above

No. of Pages: 32

Publisher: Puffin Books, USA

Year: 2005

ISBN: 978-014240-277-1

It’s an idyllic life – Mama Duck paddling away (sporting a smart hat tied down with a purple sash!) and three little ducklings swimming behind. But wait, there’s a fourth little duckling that “dawdles and dreams, preens and plays, splashes and spins.”

Almost, every family has a dawdle duckling. It seemed a little extreme that I used this colorful, rhyming book to alert our family's dawdler but then there are worse things than crocodiles out there in the real world.  

Excerpt

Past the marsh with the cattails waving, one Mama Duck paddles and quacks.

One, two, three ducklings swim behind, but the fourth little duckling dawdles and dreams, preens and plays, splashes and spins, dunks and dips.

“Quack! Catch up!” says Mama Duck.

Dawdle Duckling nibbles a tasty fly.

“NO! Quack! Quack! I won’t catch up!”

Frog’s flicky licky tongue

Author: Jillian Harker

Illustrator: Simon Abbott

Year: 2002

Publisher: Bright Sparks, UK

Age: 3 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978 1 84250 534 3

Here’s another happy story from Goosefeather Farm.

Meet Frog, apparently a novice at catching flies. Instead of flies, his tongue hits Duck on the head, gets tangled in Horse’s mane, scares little Kitten and, generally, is a bother to the animals of the farm.

Finally, all the animals get together to help teach Frog how to catch flies but the task is easier said than done. 

The Goosefeather Farm series is a colorful and cheery means to introduce children to diversity and to help them appreciate the unique differences that make each of us special.     

Excerpt

“Well,” said Cow, “have any of you ever caught a fly?”

There was silence.

“Exactly!” said Cow.

“But you don’t eat flies!” said Duck.

“No,” giggled Cow. “But they bother me all the time.”

Watch me grow - Duckling

Author: Lisa Magloff

Designed by Sonia Whillock

Year: 2003

Publisher: Darling Kindersley, London

Age: 5 and above

No. of Pages: 24

ISBN: 978-1-40531-160-0

Ducks are loved universally and I'm pretty sure Disney played a part in it too. :-)

This nature book on ducklings traces the journey of a duck from an egg to when it is eight weeks old. By this time, their wings are fully grown and they are finally ready for flight.

Several close-up photographs and fun-fact boxes make this book a delightful and educational read.

Other books in this series include:

• Watch me grow - Ape
• Watch me grow - Bear
• Watch me grow - Butterfly
• Watch me grow - Elephant
• Watch me grow - Farm Animals
• Watch me grow - Frog
• Watch me grow - Kitten
• Watch me grow - Panda
• Watch me  grow - Penguin
• Watch me grow - Puppy
• Watch me grow - Rabbit
• Watch me grow - Turtle

Excerpt

After three days I make my way to the water, where I start to paddle.

My feathers are waterproof, and they keep me warm and dry. 

Wilbie and Harry

By Sally Chambers

Year: 2005

Publisher: Piccadilly Press, London

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN:  978-1-85340-881-6

Wilbie and Harry are the best of friends. They do everything together. And then, the arrival of a football into their lives drives a wedge between their friendship.

However, their friendship is true and they realize the key to lasting friendship and happiness – sharing and caring.

It doesn't say anywhere on the book what animals Wilbie and Harry are but I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that Harry is a porcupine or hedgehog and Wilbie is a duck?

Excerpt

As soon as it was morning, Wilbie rushed round to Harry’s house. Harry was playing football on his own in the garden.

“I’m very sorry, Harry,” said Wilbie, creeping through the gate.

“I don’t want the ball, I just want to be friends. Please – I want you to have it.”

Horse up a Tree

Author: Martin Waddell

Illustrator: Jonathan Allen

Year: 2006

Publisher: Big Cat Collins, London

Age: 2 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978 0 00723 596 4

Now this was a great “sounds” book for our toddler from the Collins Big Cat Phonics Series (Yellow Band 3). The children got to say “Quack-quack! Cluck-cluck! Baa-baa!” with every turn of a page and they wanted to read it over and over again.

A horse has got stuck up a tree. The farmer and his animals try to help the stranded horse down. They use a ladder, then a rope and so on. When all attempts fail, gravity comes to the rescue.

Excerpt

Farmer got some hay.

“Jump on the hay!” Farmer said to Horse.

They all jumped on the hay to show Horse what to do.

Quack-quack! Cluck-cluck! Baa-baa!

Horse looked at the ground far below.

Horse shook his mane and said nay!

Other books in this series include:

• Cat and dog in a mess
• Frog or toad?
• Hansel and Gretel
• How to grow a beanstalk
• Muck it up!
• Puff the pup
• Sam and the nut

Little Friend

Author: Katie Cook

Illustrator: Colleen McKeown

Year: 2010

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978 1 84506 849 3

Quite often, children make the best friends for animals in need. Little Friend captures this fact through the sensitive story of a little girl and her duckling.

One chilly evening, Laura chances upon the hurt, little duckling. She befriends him and takes him home.

Laura gently nurses him to good health and soon, they are the best of friends. However, the call of the wild ducks tugs at the little duckling, who’s not so little anymore.

Laura knows she must prepare herself and her friend for a goodbye.

The book is beautifully illustrated with landscape images of windy grasslands and breezy glades. This is a wonderful book to encourage your child to explore the wonders of the living world.

Excerpt

All evening she hugged him tight, as the wild ducks called.

“You want to be with them, don’t you, Little Friend?” Laura whispered.

“I think I’ll have to teach you how to fly…