Five Little Ducklings Go to Bed

PreS—A mother duck has one child who has a mind of his own. Despite a pleasant day of swimming and playing, this duckling refuses to go to bed in the evening. In fact, he initially looks compliant, cleaning up the toys and washing his face, but then he emphatically declares, "I'm not going to bed tonight!" It takes just that statement for his siblings to start a ruckus and begin running around and pillow fighting. Roth tells the story in short rhymed couplets. Colorful artwork, done primarily in yellows, greens, and blues, fills the pages. Wispy, white feathers float all around the pillow-fight pages, making quite a mess. However, the conclusion seems to come on a bit strong, even for a mother who has had a long, tiring day. She corrects them and instructs them to clean up; unfortunately, her reprimand results in tears. Even though she then reassures them that she loves them and always will ("There's nothing you could ever do/That would make me stop loving you"), her anger comes across as rather didactic and harsh.—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA