Lucky Ducklings

PreS-Gr 3—There is very little animation in the DVD version of Eva Moore's charming picture book (Orchard, 2013) in which five ducklings following their mother, slip through a sewer grate, and are rescued by firemen and a truck driver. Instead, the video relies on the camera zooming in and panning on Nancy Carpenter's illustrations. The camera focuses on each duckling as they are named. The close-ups accentuate the curiosity of Little Joe, who always seems to be distracted by something, whether it's a falling leaf or a dragonfly. At times the camera zooms in and out to emphasize the action, like when it moves in on the bucket of rescued ducklings, then zooms out to reveal the jubilant faces of the crowd reacting to the rescue. In music by Jon Carroll, woodwinds and piano accompany the action, mimicking the jaunty movements of walking ducks and rising in tempo and pitch when the ducklings fall through the grate. Quacks and chirps, muffled discussions of the rescuers, and cheers of the crowd that gathers to watch enhance the soundtrack. The narration by Tavia Gilbert is soothing and dramatic in just the right places. Overall, this is a satisfying production, and children will be delighted to learn that the story is based on a real event. A subtitled version is included for beginning readers.—Constance Dickerson, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, OH