Giggle Giggle Quack Book Review by Doreen Cronin

 

Written By Doreen Cronin

Illustrated by Betsy Lewin

Published by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers in 2002

ISBN: 978-1481465434

Plot Summary: Farmer Brown is going on vacation leaving his brother Bob in charge of all the farm animals. Farmer Brown leaves instructions for his brother in order to best care for all the animals. Chaos ensues as the Duck changes all the instructions to things that he thinks the animals will like. With everything from pizza for the animals to bathing the pigs in bubble bath and letting the cows pick a movie, this book is a hilarious take on what happens when someone thinks they know better than the owner on how to best care for animals. 

Critical Analysis: The author of this book uses humor to tell a story about what happens when a mischievous duck circumvents instructions that will help take care of the animals in the best possible way. This book is written so that people of all ages can enjoy some laughter and humor in a lighthearted tale of what can possible go wrong. The animal noises will be sure to delight the younger readers as they go through the story and find the animals that they love and make the noises along with them. The illustrations draw your attention to the different scenery and action that is going on in the story. The watercolors are eye catching and bring a sense of basic whimsy to the story. The little umbrella in the pineapple is a way of showing the adult reader that there could be more going on than just a normal vacation for the farmer. 

Reviews 

Kirkus Book Review

Cronin and Lewin team up again for a sequel about the clever crew from the Caldecott Honor–winning, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type (2000). This time, Farmer Brown is away on vacation, and his brother Bob is taking care of the farm animals, with instructions to follow the notes the farmer left behind. The mischievous action is led by the duck, the “neutral party” in the previous story, who has learned to print neatly with a pencil. Does the quick-witted duck replace all Farmer Brown’s notes with his own carefully printed orders? Do the farm animals get to order pizza, take bubble baths, and watch old movies? Do ducks quack? Lewin’s bold watercolors with thick black outlines are just as funny as those in the first story, but a duck writing notes with a red pencil doesn’t have the off-beat humor of cows click-clacking away on a typewriter. Similarly, the concept of farm animals tricking their kindly sitter into forbidden treats doesn’t have the panache of going on strike for electric blankets. The refrain in this story changes with each incident to reflect the three kinds of animals, again suffering in comparison with that delightfully repetitive refrain in the original story. The many fans of Click, Clack, Moo (both adults and children) will want to read about the cows and their duck friend to see what happens next, but like most sequels, the second story stands not on top, but in the shadow of the innovative original. (Picture book. 3-7)

Publishers Weekly

The barnyard animals first seen in Cronin and Lewin's Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type continue to express themselves via the written word in this clever and funny sequel. When Farmer Brown takes a vacation and leaves his brother Bob in charge ("I wrote everything down for you. Just follow my instructions and everything will be fine. But keep an eye on Duck. He's trouble"), enterprising Duck sees boundless opportunity in the situation. The webbed fellow commandeers the pencil and paper that Farmer Brown has left behind and writes out his own feeding/care tips for Bob to follow: "Tuesday night is pizza night (not the frozen kind!). The hens prefer anchovies." (A "giggle, giggle, cluck" escapes from the onlookers.) Unaware of the note's authorship, Bob complies, and subsequent requests include indoor bubble baths for the pigs and the cows' choice for movie night ("The Sound of Moosic"). The jig is soon up—with Duck and company found out in a humorous denouement. Cronin again balances wit and jovial warmth in scenarios that will have readers laughing out loud. Fans of the first book will delight in the details found in Lewin's chipper watercolor washes with a painted bold black line (the electric blankets originally demanded by the cows are put to good use, for example). This sitcom on the farm more than lives up to its title and demands repeat visits. Ages 3-7. (May)

Connections

Books in the series: 

Click Clack Moo, Cows that Type
Duck for President
Dooby Dooby Moo
Thump, Quack, Moo

Websites for Further Exploration of Farm Animals

  1. 978-1481465434
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  1. 978-1481465434

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