A Duck Called Brian

by Al Murphy (Author)

A Duck Called Brian
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

Only a miracle can save Brian's day from total disaster!

When Brian wakes up and realizes he's out of his favorite breakfast--Duck Nuts and milk--all he wants is to tell his best friend Gregory. But Gregory is nowhere to be found!

Brian goes searching for his best friend, and finds many fellow ducks engaged in silly and entertaining activities along the way. Will Brian find Gregory, or will his day be totally fowl?

A Duck Called Brian is a hilarious picture book that's sure to have readers of all ages laughing out loud! With clever artwork, witty humor, and a fun search-and-find element, this story is a rib-tickling read-together tale.

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Paperback
$6.99

Kirkus

In this Australian import, a duck spends a silly, disastrous day searching for his friend.

ALA/Booklist

The wide and appealingly colored spreads are delightful depictions of elaborately ridiculous duck-filled shenanigans.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4--The puns are coming fast and hard from the end papers on in this picture book that seems to be prepping children for Mo Willems's books or perhaps Dav Pilkey's Captain Underpants. Brian, cereal-loving and loyal, is a standout duck in blue, unlike his yellow cohorts, so maybe his personality was written from birth. Posters for "Ducks of Hazzard" and "Bat Duck" greet readers, as does Brian with a "Well, Hello!" Yes, says the omniscient narrator, he is blue, and what of it? The arch narration states and overstates the humor to make sure readers are paying attention: "Brian came across Peter, who was busy counting ants." Brian asks if Peter has seen his missing best friend, Gregory, and Peter replies, of course, "Sorry, no. I've been busy counting ants." This repetition will push emerging readers along as one absurd event after another unfolds, and no one has seen Gregory. When Brian falls into a magical door, he finds his best friend and they enjoy a bowl of cereal together. Shaggy duck story? Children may love the format; reading it aloud becomes tedious and the ending leaves those with expectations of real triumph in the dust. VERDICT Comic illustrations, friendship, and hundreds of ducks engaged in silly activities may be enough for some readers, but libraries better go with Mo.--Kimberly Olson Fakih

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for A Duck Called Brian:

"A duck spends a silly, disasterous day searching for his friend. ...Comical...Playful, absurd, and marvelous." —Kirkus Reviews

Al Murphy
Scholastic Inc. is a global publishing and education company whose mission is to encourage the intellectual and personal growth of all children, beginning with literacy.
Al Murphy graduated from the Liverpool School of Art in 1999 and has been a commercial artist ever since, with a diverse range of clients including the BBC, MTV, Perrier, Air France and EMI Records. He is the illustrator of Kitchen Disco by Clare Foges. Al lives in London with his wife Annie, son Casper, and dog Cupid.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781338848113
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Scholastic Press
Publication date
November 07, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV051000 - Juvenile Fiction | Imagination & Play
JUV002280 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Ducks, Geese, Etc.
Library of Congress categories
Humorous stories
Friendship
Picture books
Ducks
Missing persons
Humorous fiction
JUVENILE FICTION / Imagination & Play
JUVENILE FICTION / Animals / Ducks, Geese, et

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