Muddle & Mo

November 15, 2016
Muddle the duck is confused as to why friend Mo looks so strange--before finally realizing that Mo is a goat, not a duck.The illustrations are really what make the book work, and Robinson's softly penciled and highly stylized goats and duck placed on textured blue backgrounds are adorable, with beautifully conveyed personalities. Muddle's expressions are manic and high-energy, while placid Mo's expressions are serene and calm, patiently awaiting the conclusion of Muddle's critique of what a strange duck Mo is. In fact, Mo doesn't even correct the duck--it's only when Muddle hears Mo bleat, and then hears Mo's fellow goats bleat back, that Muddle realizes that Mo is a goat. Muddle is a little cruel about assessing Mo's inadequacy (Mo's wings are in the wrong place, Mo's tail looks weird, and Mo can't even quack), in a similar vein as such tales as "The Ugly Duckling," but there's no retributive ending here. Muddle anxiously asks, "Am I a goat?" "You are one hundred percent duck," says Mo comfortably, and they cuddle up and have a laugh. There's plenty of room here for guardians to encourage kids to reframe weird into just different when observing others. A simple story with sweet illustrations that make this an easy entry for very young readers. (Picture book. 3-5)

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January 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 1-Muddle (a duck) and Mo (a goat) are walking along when Muddle suddenly blurts out, "You're a funny color for a duck!" At first Mo is shocked, but as Muddle continues to go on about how Mo doesn't measure up on the duck scale, the gentle friend allows Muddle to have his say. It's when they reach a goat farm that the duck recognizes his mistake and leaps for joy in his new discovery that Mo is a goat. In a twist, Muddle then worries that he might also be a goat, but Mo assures him he's 100 percent duck. Muddle is portrayed as a highly exuberant character, shouting his proclamations with confidence, contrasting with Mo's patient and wise demeanor. An element of silliness is sure to provoke laughter in young listeners. Mixed-media images created with acrylic paint and graphite are on a background of light blue handmade paper. VERDICT This short and goofy book with themes of identity and friendship is fun to share one-on-one or in storytime.-Gaye Hinchliff, King County Library System, WA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2017
Preschool-K In this first of at least two books about a duck and a goat who are friends, the duck (aptly named Muddle) discovers that his friend Mo is a goat, not just a funny-looking duck. Muddle begins by declaring to a confused Mo, You're a funny color for a duck! He then proceeds to point out several other things that make Mo an odd duck: hairy beak, bizarre dietary choices, strange placement of wings (really, they're Mo's ears). A trip to a goat farm momentarily clears things up ( You're not a duck! You're a goat! ) before Muddle, in a brief existential crisis, wonders if he himself is a goat. Mo, however, much to Muddle's relief, assures him that he is indeed one hundred percent duck. Small in size and simple in every aspectuncomplicated illustrations feature only the two characters and other goats, and the minimal text is comprised only of the short dialoguethis comforting entree into the world of differences hits the right marks for the intended age group.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)