BlooMSBury Mucky Duck

Mucky Duck is a very special duck - he likes painting, cooking, playing football...and he also likes getting VERY MUCKY! And one way or another he always seems to get his friend Oliver very mucky too. Children will love the repetitive line 'O you Mucky Duck!' that appears frequently within the pages. And Neal Layton has used collage to great effect to create some really messy pages...our only advice is to dive right in. Perfect for reading aloud. Sally Grindley is the author of over 30 books for children and has had an astonishing four of her books short-listed for the Smarties prize. Her previous books for Bloomsbury include Who is It?, Where are my Chicks, A New Room for William and the newly-published The Sulky Vulture illustrated by Michael Terry. Sally lives in Gloucestershire. Neal Layton is an astounding talent in children's illustration. His first picture book was The Photo and his second for Bloomsbury, Rover, with Michael Rosen has been a huge success worldwide. He is currently illustrating the forthcoming Wicked Poems selected by Roger McGough, and is a talent to watch. Neal lives in Glasgow. Editorial Reviews From School Library Journal PreSchool-This slight picture book stretches a catchy phrase into a (sort of) story. Mucky Duck lives in a pond in Oliver Dunkley's backyard. Readers are told that the duck "was supposed to be white, and sometimes she was, but mostly she wasn't," largely due to her messy pursuits. From baking to soccer, painting to gardening, Mucky Duck and Oliver find myriad ways to get grubby. In the end, Oliver's parents scrub both boy and duck from head to toe. But even curled up with a good book, a glass of milk, and some cookies, Oliver and Mucky Duck manage to make a mess. Grindley's brief, straightforward text catalogs the components of each activity (baking, for example, includes "Pouring and mixing, rolling and shaping") and follows each description of an activity with the repeated refrain, "Oh you Mucky Duck!" Layton's illustrations, in contrast to the simple text, are frenetic and fun. Drawn in a deliberately childlike style, they emphasize the messes made with splatters, spills, and scribbles. Done in what appears to be a mix of watercolor, pencil, and collage, the mixed-media art carries the simple story. Parents who have a soft spot for their own "mucky ducks" may enjoy sharing this book with their children. Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Booklist PreS-Gr. 1. Oliver Dunkley and Mucky Duck like to do messy things together, but Mucky pushes things a little too far, dumping batter on her head, splashing in mud puddles, splattering herself with paint, and frolicking in dirt. The text is brief; most of the action is told through scribbly illustrations that are likely to whip kids into a frenzy. The last spread is especially hectic, with background and foreground images in such competition that there is no place to rest the eye. The book's size and full-page art make it a good choice for group storytime, but not before naps. Mucky Duck's refrain--"Oh you Mucky Duck!"--is sure to become a favorite gentle reproach. Traci Todd Copyright å© American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.