FICTION

D Is for Duck!

by David MELLING
D Is for Duck! illus. by David Melling. 32p. Kane Miller. Mar. 2017. Tr $12.99. ISBN 9781610675802. POP
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1—Starting even before the title page of this amusing alphabet book, mustachioed, short Duck, wearing a fez and cape, walks onto the page, suitcase and black-and-white magician's wand in hand. Duck casts a spell, "Abracadabra," and from a top hat he pulls a bunny and a chicken. The trick should end there, but things go awry as every manner of animal bursts forth from the hat—a fox, a goat, a lion. The magical chaos mounts until Duck takes charge of his magic to save the day. A happy ending is in store—that is, until someone else picks up the magic wand and unleashes its mischievous power. Melling nimbly creates an engaging narrative using just one or two words for each letter of the alphabet. The very large, hand-lettered text is always well placed. Soft, rounded shapes are outlined in black and washed with solid colors against the creamy, thick pages. The clean white background provides the perfect backdrop for the brightly colored characters to shine. The facial expressions and lighthearted character relationships add humor and heart and will keep readers turning the pages. The character sketches on the front and back endpapers portray comical vignettes featuring Duck and two magical eggs.
VERDICT This fine contribution to the alphabet canon is enlivened by funny characters and a compelling narrative. The pages are fun to pore over, and the images and text are large enough to share with a group.
Reviewed by Amy Seto Forrester, Denver Public Library
Duck the magician kicks off this entertaining alphabet book by pointing a wand ("Abracadabra") and then starts pulling animals out of a hat ("Bunny," "Chicken"). The colorful cartoon art carries the story with comical, sometimes suspenseful pacing while alphabetically, word by word, the text focuses the plot. At letter d, "Duck" is finished with the magic show (off come the fez and fake mustache), but the illustrations show that mischievous Bunny and Chicken now have the wand and are messing with the hat. Everyone looks surprised to see an "Egg" then rise out of the hat. From here, the magic gets out of hand. ("Fox" "Goat"..."Hatch" goes the Egg.) Each illustrated character bursts with energy and personality. Duck tries to contain things, but the alphabet moves along quickly, and the illustrations become more crowded and chaotic. Things go very wrong when a large red dragon appears at letter o ("Ooops") until Duck bravely recovers from "Panic Quick (Quack) Run" and at letter v commands: "Vanish." Relieved, all the other animals come out of hiding. ("X [Kiss]" "Yuck") Meanwhile Bunny's got the wand again..."Zap." This wild, fast-paced magic show offers a visual treat for those who already know the alphabet as well as for those who are just getting started. julie roach
 , May 01, 2017

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