Publishers Weekly
08/08/2016
In this addition to the series that began with Click, Clack, Moo, it’s Little Duck’s birthday, and the farm animals are busy getting ready. Cronin merrily describes their preparations in repeating language (“The chickens take a dust bath to look their best. They shimmy-shake, shimmy-shake, shimmy-shake clean”), but the real fun comes as Little Duck mimics each animal, getting frizzier, dustier, and muddier in the process. Lewin adeptly portrays the story’s physical comedy in swoopy mixed-media scenes that build to a “Happy Birthday to... ewww!” finale. It’s goofy birthday fun that will probably have some readers shimmy-shaking and slurp-a-lurping along with the animals. Ages 4–8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Sept.)
October 6, 2016 - Booklist online
Farmer Brown’s barnyard animals are still going strong in the series that started with the hilarious Click,
Clack, Moo (2000). Once again the action in the barnyard comes to life with endearingly wacky pen, ink,
and watercolor illustrations and fun-on-the-tongue word combinations (like slurp-a-lurp and snippety-clip
). It’s Little Duck’s first birthday, and the farm is abuzz with preparations. Little Duck really wants to
shine, so he imitates the grooming of the other animals. Things start off well with Big Duck, who rub-adubs
clean in a bubble bath in one of Farmer Brown’s buckets. But when the sheep trim their wool, Little
Duck shears his own feathers; and his imitation of the chickens’ dust bath leaves him a mess. The pattern
continues until Little Duck arrives, thoroughly disheveled, at his party to a chorus of “Happy Birthday to .
. . ewww!” It’s no surprise that the wordplay, repetition, and silly situations created by Cronin and Lewin
make for another fantastic read-aloud in the Click, Clack, Moo cannon.
— Connie Fletcher
School Library Journal - Audio
03/01/2017
PreS-Gr 1—The big day at Farmer Brown's barnyard has finally arrived; the invitations have been sent, the cake is baked, and the games are planned. Little Duck, eager to attend her first birthday party, closely watches as sheep, cat, pigs, and chickens "snippity-clip," "slurp-a-lurp," "squish and squash," and "shimmy-shake" their way to picture-perfect snazziness, then copies them with awful, messy results! Farmer Brown saves the day with a sweet surprise. Cronin's latest tale is a delightfully humorous must-have addition to her "Click, Clack" series. Maurice England's subtle down-in-the-holler twang narration is spot on and accompanied by musical overtones, scritching, squealing, and mooing. VERDICT An A-list selection for all children's collections, although the smile-inducing watercolor illustrations are definitely missed, especially Little Duck's zinger on the last page: "Happy birthday to…Eww!" Pair print and audio for the best of both worlds. Includes a page-turning track. ["Sure to be a lively storytime read-aloud. Recommended for most picture book collections": SLJ 11/16 review of the Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy book.]—Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH
School Library Journal
11/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—In the 11th "Click, Clack" book by Cronin and Lewin, Farmer Brown and the animals are preparing for Little Duck's birthday party. Once the cake is baked, the decorations hung, and the games chosen, the animals focus on spiffing themselves up for the event. In turn, the duck, sheep, cat, chickens, and pigs "rub-a-dub," "snippity-clip," "slurp-a-lurp," "shimmy-shake," and "squish and squash" clean. Little Duck follows their example, ending with a dust bath and a roll in a mud puddle. Readers are likely to get caught up in the onomatopoeic fun and may be inspired by Lewin's energetic watercolors to wiggle, shake, and strut along with the animals. VERDICT Sure to be a lively storytime read-aloud. Recommended for most picture book collections.—Jennifer Costa, Cambridge Public Library, MA
