The Duck Never Blinks

by Alex Latimer (Author) Alex Latimer (Illustrator)

Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

Can you make a duck blink?

Probably not.

But you can try, in this irreverent and hilarious staring contest between you and a duck that never, ever blinks.

Do you see that duck over there? 

That duck doesn't blink.                                                                             

Even if you look away then look back real quick.

Even if you tell it a really funny joke!

Perfect for fans of interactive stories like Do Not Lick This Book and Duck! Rabbit!, The Duck Never Blinks will have kids and adults alike bawling with laughter as they spend time with this one very sly duck.

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$18.99

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Kirkus

Simple and effective, sure to elicit glee.

ALA/Booklist

A perfect prelude to a staring contest.

Publishers Weekly

An unseen narrator conspiratorially invites readers into a staring contest with a wide-eyed duck in this droll interactive outing. From the opening page of South African creator Latimer's tale, readers are swept into a comical mission: "You see that duck over there? I've been watching that duck all day and it hasn't blinked... Will you help me make the duck blink?" Having enlisted readers, the narrator tries shouting ("ARMADILLO!/ FIRE ENGINE!/ WOOLAWOOLA!") as well as momentarily averting their gaze and telling the duck both a sad story and a joke. When nothing works, the narrator's frustration level--and the text's chuckle factor--rise ("Blink. Just Once.// PLEASE"). As the narrator storms off, instructing readers to watch the fowl closely, their regard is rewarded--at last--with a satisfying finish. Latimer's centerpiece image of the simply drawn, unflinching white duck, in some scenes repeated across a grid of tiny panels that show changing light throughout the day, is funny on its own, but subtle changes to the bird's face throughout--a teardrop, an open beak, a sideways glance--are an especially welcome treat for audiences who are no doubt keeping their own eyes glued to the pages. Ages 3-6. Agent: Paul Moreton, Bell Lomax Moreton. (July)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

 

Alex Latimer
Alex is a South African writer and illustrator living in Cape Town. He has a degree in English and Philosophy and has written and illustrated for many major brands across the globe. Alex's picture books are quirky and fun and full of humor that appeals to both children and adults. He has won the Hampshire Picture Book Award, the CELI Read Aloud Book Award and has been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. His books include Am I Yours?, The Duck Never Blinks, Never Follow a Dinosaur, and The Boy Who Called Ninja.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781250885999
Lexile Measure
330
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Roaring Brook Press
Publication date
July 11, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV002280 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Ducks, Geese, Etc.
JUV020000 - Juvenile Fiction | Interactive Adventures
Library of Congress categories
Picture books
Ducks
Contests
Eye

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