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Sunday, August 9, 2015

Daddy Sat on a Duck, written and illustrated by Scott M. Cohn. Little, Brown and Company, Hachette. 2015. $17.00 ages 5 and up


"Daddy sat on a duck
at dinner one night.
"Excuse me!" he said,
which I thought was
polite.
I know that if somebody
sat on MY back,
I'd be angry enough to
let out a big QUACK!"

Not every one likes books that allude to farting, and snoring, and other noises often heard in family households. But, kids like them and are intrigued by the noises that are so effortlessly part of a father's repertoire.

The little girl who voices the story is somewhat concerned by the noises she often hears, but cannot distinguish what they are, or where they are coming from in her house. It seems that her dad is always there when they happen.  In fact, when she sits down to dinner one evening, she wonders if he put the squish on a duck. The sounds are varied, and happen often.

When she hears a lion's roar in her parents' bedroom, she opens the door just as her dad wakes up. Where could that noise be coming from and then, why is there a gorilla in the shower? And, what is that smell coming from the bathroom?

When she asks her dad to enlighten her, he responds with questions of his own:

"Have you ever had dinner with a chimpanzee?"

"Or sailed on a walrus's back through the sea?"

"Or ridden a bald eagle up into the skies?"

The illustrations, created digitally using Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop, show images of the father and daughter swimming together and her riding on his back as they head up the stairs.

This is a book for those little girls who love their fathers despite the sometimes disgusting sounds they make, and the dads who make them. It's a terrific book to share together! A silly read aloud that will be appreciated by many. Keep it for Father's Day next year, or pair with Scott Cohn's next book. Daddy Said a Word I Never Heard is due in November from Little, Brown. Just in time for Christmas giving!

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