Duck's Vacation

March 30, 2015
Author-artist Soffer adds to the increasingly crowded shelf of metafictional picture books in a playful story that has readers wreaking havoc on a duck’s island getaway. Relaxing with an ice-cream cone in a beach chair, Duck couldn’t he happier. “Whoa! What just happened? Who turned the page?” he shouts as his ice cream goes flying. Realizing that readers are responsible, Duck begs them to stop turning pages, but books don’t work that way, and Duck is soon fending off pinching crabs, inclement weather, and pirates who want to turn him into soup. While Soffer’s story and his much-protesting protagonist have plenty of literary forebears (starting with The Monster at the End of This Book), the conceit works well—who hasn’t felt like an unseen power is making vacation fly by too quickly? Handsomely executed colored pencil illustrations play up Duck’s growing indignation, and Soffer doubles down on the schadenfreude with an ending that lets readers ruin not just Duck’s day but that of the pirates as well. Ages 2–5. Agent: Rena Rossner, Deborah Harris Agency.

February 15, 2015
Duck's vacation is interrupted by readers; would they please just stop turning the pages?Duck is relaxing on the island of Bora Bora (according to the passport stamp on the cover). He has his sunglasses, beach chair, ice cream and refreshing drink. It is the perfect vacation. That is, until readers decide to turn the page! Duck is bewildered. What just happened? His ice cream and sunglasses go flying. He explains to readers that he is on vacation and would like peace and quiet. He pleads: "Do. Not. Turn. Any. More. Pages." Of course, readers will persist. At times, the action of flipping the page causes items on the beach to scatter, further annoying Duck. Yet other times the chaos cannot be ascribed to readers, such as an instant blizzard or a large crowd, both of which disappear in a blink. When pirates arrive on the scene, Duck is fed up and decides to leave the book altogether. The pirates don't mind; they have a story to tell. If only there were enough pages left. In the metafictive picture-book market, this effort doesn't stand out as particularly inventive or amusing, struggling to sustain the conceit over 40 pages. While propelling energy lags, large storytime crowds may be able to infuse it with their own. (Picture book. 3-6)

March 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 3-In the tradition of Mo Willems's Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (Hyperion, 2003) and Herve Tullet's Press Here (Chronicle, 2011), Soffer's charming duck hero breaks the fourth wall with panache. Duck just wants to be left alone to bask on the beach, but those pesky readers keep turning the page, unleashing snow, pinching crabs, a bird pooping on his head, and even pirates! Originally published in Israel, this translation from the Hebrew flows with the interactive rhythm of storytime, and the appealing colors and flowing lines of Soffer's humorous illustrations are a perfect match for the text. VERDICT An ideal read-aloud that will appeal to a wide audience.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD

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