Duckworth, the Difficult Child

by Michael Sussman, Júlia Sardà (Illustrator)

Overview

Duckworth’s parents think he is a difficult child, so when a snake slides right up and swallows him whole, his parents don’t believe him! What’s poor Duckworth to do?

Duckworth is a difficult child.
At least that’s what his parents think.

So when Duckworth tries to explain that a gigantic snake slithered out of his closet, his parents insist it’s all in his head—he is far too old to be imagining such nonsense. (And will he please do his chores?) But even when the cobra slides right up and swallows Duckworth whole, his parents remain unconvinced! (Where did he find that snake costume, and will he please put it away?)

What’s poor Duckworth to do when his parents just won’t listen? With nods to the deliciously dark humor of Edward Gorey, Florence Parry Heide, and Jon Klassen, Michael Sussman and Júlia Sardà empathize with children everywhere who must find ways to deal with their difficult parents.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534405134
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	06/18/2019
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
Lexile:	630L (what's this?)
File size:	32 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Michael Sussman, a clinical psychologist and survivor of difficult parents, is the author of the picture books Otto Grows Down and Duckworth, the Difficult Child, and of two novels for adults, Crashing Eden and Incognolio. Visit him online at MichaelSussmanBooks.com.

Júlia Sardà is an illustrator from Barcelona. After her studies, Júlia started working as colorist in a studio which made the editorial merchandising for Disney/Pixar and then moved on to freelancing two years later. With work ranging from concept art for video games to children’s illustration, Júlia has had the chance to illustrate some everlasting classics such as Alice in Wonderland; The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Visit her online at JuliaSarda.com.

Editorial Reviews

03/18/2019

Duckworth has a problem: a scarlet serpent as big as a minivan is coiled in his closet, and his parents, immersed in their new copy of Dealing with Your Difficult Child, are unconcerned. Then the snake swallows Duckworth—neatly, so that he can still hold a conversation. They remain unimpressed. “Where did you find that snake costume?” his father asks. After his parents share a game of checkers, a dinner, and a stroll with the snake, it’s clear that Duckworth must save himself. He does, handily, and the snake exits without a fuss. Sardà (Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein) creates an elegantly chilly atmosphere for Duckworth’s Treehorn Trilogy–esque drawing room comedy. His parents’ on-trend décor provides a perfect foil for the beast’s primal energy; the house is all plinths and angles, while the snake forms a tangle of graceful, undulating curves. Sussman (Otto Grows Down) makes the most of the rib-tickling contrast between mortal danger and proper manners: “It’s not a snake costume!” shouts Duckworth from inside the snake, his words rendered in tiny type to suggest muffled cries. At the end, though, Duckworth’s still stuck with his parents, prompting not a laugh, but a whiff of dread. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Stephanie Fretwell-Hill, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"The visual sensibility is a sort of gothic art deco elegance, in a rich palette dominated by the orange of the cobra; double-page spreads allow plenty of room for the gigantic snake to coil and curl and slither. The significant humor comes from the disconnect between the child's expereince and the adults' disregard (shades of the classic The Shrinking of Treehorn)—to which most children can surely relate."

The Horn Book

"What first appears to be a Goreyesque cautionary tale for troublesome children comically turns the tables to target inept parents instead. . . . Sardà plays up the story’s situational humor in her detailed, vintage-toned watercolors, ensuring that kids get the joke that the parents are the difficult ones, not Duckworth. A lightly macabre, utterly amusing read."

Booklist

"Sussman’s sendup of modern parenting (he is a clinical psychologist), dedicated to 'difficult children everywhere,' is well paired with illustrator Júlia Sardà, who is capable of pulling off a quirky Gorey-esque vibe. She brings distant, angular lines and cool colors to Duckworth’s home and even to his parents, which are effectively juxtaposed with the curving, sensual lines and vivid orange of the mammoth snake. Sardà does offbeat well. . . . There’s an understated humor to Duckworth’s ability to tolerate [his parents] and his necessity for self-sufficiency. After all, in the end, Duckworth saves himself."

BookPage

"What first appears to be a Goreyesque cautionary tale for troublesome children comically turns the tables to target inept parents instead. . . . Sardà plays up the story’s situational humor in her detailed, vintage-toned watercolors, ensuring that kids get the joke that the parents are the difficult ones, not Duckworth. A lightly macabre, utterly amusing read."

Booklist

2019-03-17
The difference between a snake and a snake costume is pretty big.

Duckworth is a human boy who wears knickers and stockings and whose hairstyle can only be described as a comb-forward. He's playing contentedly in his room when a massive, orange-patterned snake slithers out of the closet. Duckworth goes downstairs and informs his parents, but Mother and Father are busy reading a book called Dealing with Your Difficult Child. They consider the snake a figment of Duckworth's imagination—and even when the snake swallows Duckworth and comes downstairs, they insist it's merely Duckworth wearing a snake costume. Duckworth, intact and articulate inside the snake, explains the situation, but his parents cleave to the parenting book's philosophy that Duckworth's "fantasies will go away if we ignore them." As the snake sits at the dinner table, Duckworth's bodily outline can be seen inside the snake's midsection, far away from the table. The family has no meeting of the minds. Eventually, Duckworth extricates himself from the snake—none the worse for wear—and considers seeking a book about dealing with difficult parents. Sardà's illustrations blend a gothic sensibility with an art deco style, highlighting geometrical patterns, sharp angles, and a lot of orange and gray. People's skin color comes from the flat white background paper.

Unlike Maurice Sendak's Pierre, Duckworth has no lesson to learn; readers can decide for themselves whether he's highly imaginative or merely unflappable when swallowed. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews