Thump, Quack, Moo: A Whacky Adventure
(Click Clack)

It's another interspecies battle of witsand read-aloud winnerfrom a celebrated duo. This time, Farmer Brown is trying to put together a fabulous Statue of Liberty corn maze. But the ever-subversive Duck has different ideasand given that he also owns night-vision goggles and a glow-in-the-dark ruler, it's not surprising whose artistic vision triumphs. This entry is more goofy than satiricit's closer in spirit to "Dooby Dooby Moo" than "Duck for President". But it also proves that this team continues to operate in top form. Lewin is especially good here: her bold, loosely rendered watercolors continue to find new comic depths in the obsessive, cranky Duck (the scenes drawn from the perspective of his night-vision goggles are a hoot). And the subsidiary characters garner plenty of giggles, too. Ages 3-7. "(Sept.)" Copyright 2008 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

K-Gr 4Duck and his comical cohorts return in another zany tale. Farmer Brown plans a Statue of Liberty maze for the annual Corn Maze Festival, enlisting (by bribe and threat) the reluctant help of his animal friends to see the project through. Before long, the chickens are constructing a fence, the cows are painting the barn, and Duckcurmudgeon extraordinaireis furiously hammering out a ticket booth. As Farmer Brown busily sketches, measures, and mows by day, Duck keeps equally busy, sneaking into the cornfield every night armed with night-vision goggles, glow-in-the-dark ruler, and hedge clippers. Although the animals' various endeavors don't turn out as expected (the disasters are humorously depicted in the artwork), an undaunted Farmer Brown eagerly boards a hot-air balloon for an aerial view of his masterpiece during the opening ceremony. Along for the ride, a smug Duck is able to witness the man's priceless reaction to the nighttime design changes, which readers can view on a two-page fold-up. Once again, Cronin and Lewin get everything right, from the perfectly paced deadpan narrative, to the amusing characterizations, to the vibrant brush and watercolor cartoons that play off and extend the text's humor. Throughout the tale, the farm mice, who are taking a meteorology correspondence course, present weather-prediction charts that reflect the mood of the plot, gradually building from partly sunny skies to stormy climax. Fans will not be disappointed."Joy Fleishhacker", School Library Journal Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.