Duck and Goose Find a Pumpkin

by Tad Hills

Overview

PRESCHOOLERS WILL CHEER the return of Duck and Goose in their fourth board book appearance. This time, Duck and Goose are looking for the perfect pumpkin. Is it in the log? Is it under the leaves? Is it in the apple tree? Young children will surely enjoy going on a pumpkin hunt with Duck and Goose . . . especially when they find the perfect pumpkin at the end!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780375858130
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	07/28/2009
Series:	Duck and Goose Series
Pages:	22
Sales rank:	41,909
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 6.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD60L (what's this?)
Age Range:	Up to 2 Years

About the Author

Tad Hills is the author and illustrator of the ALA Notable Book Duck & Goose—called “expressive” and “adorable” in a starred review from Kirkus Reviews—and Duck, Duck, Goose, both New York Times bestsellers. His Duck & Goose boardbooks include the ALA Notable Book What’s Up, Duck?, Duck & Goose 1, 2, 3 and Duck & Goose: How Are You Feeling? He is also the illustrator of Waking Up Wendell, My Fuzzy Friends, and Knock, Knock, Who’s There? Tad lives in Brooklyn with his wife, their two children, and a dog (who will soon star in a book of his own!).

Editorial Reviews

Loyal friends Duck and Goose notice their friend Thistle's pumpkin and decide to find one of their own in this pleasing autumnal board book. Their misguided search leads them to unlikely places (“Is our pumpkin in the log, Goose?”), with a tersely funny “No” as the repeated reply. When Thistle reappears with a helpful hint, the friends finally track down an enormous pumpkin, carting it off together. Hills's cozy oil paintings play up the gentle humor at work. Ages 2–5. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Where would you go to find a pumpkin? The grocery store? A vegetable seller? Perhaps a pumpkin patch? Duck and Goose see their friend Thistle carrying a lovely big orange pumpkin and decide that they want one, too. Off they go to find one, but really they just do not have a clue where one might be. First, they look in an empty log; of course, that is not a success. Then, they check out a pile of leaves; no luck. The check the apple tree, but it has only apples to offer. Next, they head for the pond and look under the water. Finally, they peer over the top of an old tree stump. None of these places have a big orange pumpkin. Dejected, the two sit in the grass. Then, Thistle innocently asks if they have tried the pumpkin patch. Viola, the two congratulate themselves on finding a really huge pumpkin that takes both of them to carry home. This book is amusing, and kids who know better than our heroes will feel really smart when they know where to look, even if Duck and Goose do not. The simple illustrations feature the oranges and browns of the fall season and provide even more topics for discussion. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

PreS—Duck and Goose are searching for a pumpkin like the one their friend Thistle has. They look unsuccessfully in a hollow log, in a pile of bright autumn leaves, and in an apple tree. They even look under the water and on top of a stump before Thistle suggests that they look in the pumpkin patch. On the final spread, they are shown carrying a large pumpkin between them, and Goose says, "We sure know how to find a pumpkin, Duck," and Duck agrees. This appealing story is told in simple, well-chosen words and illustrated with uncluttered oil paintings done in autumn colors. Signs of the season are everywhere. Dark red apples have fallen to the ground, a lone acorn sits on a tree stump, and orange leaves lay lightly on the grass under a pellucid blue sky. Preschoolers on their annual pilgrimage to the local pumpkin patch will identify with Goose and Duck.—Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN

School Library Journal

It's autumn; Duck and Goose's friend, Thistle, has a nice, large pumpkin. Now, Goose wants a pumpkin too so Duck and Goose set out to search for one. They hunt for their pumpkin in unusual places like in the hollow of a log, in a pile of fallen leaves, and even in an apple tree. As expected, the twosome doesn't find a pumpkin in these odd spots. Finally, Thistle suggests to the pair to try the pumpkin patch which results in a happy outcome for Duck and Goose. The illustrations fill the layout and support the text. The autumn colors are pleasing to the eyes. The simplicity and size of the pictures make the book a great read aloud for a group or one-on-one sharing. The pictures focus on places that Duck and Goose check in their search for a pumpkin. This book is a part of the "Duck and Goose" series.

Children's Literature - Carrie Hane Hung

Playful and comically hopeless Duck and Goose are back in a fall-themed board book. In this episode, the duo admires their friend Thistle's pumpkin. They set out to find one, but they look in all the wrong places and become distracted along the way by the fun that can be had in autumn. The feathered friends have no luck finding a pumpkin in a pile of leaves or up an apple tree. Thistle suggests they try the pumpkin patch, and the final spread shows the twosome marching off with an extra-large pumpkin and congratulating each other on their pumpkin-finding abilities. While some of the jokes will likely go over most toddlers' heads, youngsters will identify with Duck and Goose's distractibility and their obsession with something new. Hills' oil paintings, done in warm fall tones and stretching to the edge of the oversized pages, are as fresh and lively as any of the other titles in the series. The text is told entirely in snatches of dialogue; Duck, Goose and Thistle's utterances hover close to the speaker and help to differentiate the three characters. This autumn tale is charming enough to enjoy throughout the year. (Board book. 2-4)

Kirkus Reviews