Quietly ... Quietly ... QUACK!

Three ducklings sneak away from their mother to explore the rest of the farm. As this lighthearted read-aloud opens, Momma Duck is still slumbering. Two of her little ones peer at her, worried, but the third, clad in a blue scarf, is already out the door. Though they attempt to stay silent to avoid being caught, the third duckling's tendency to quack at inconvenient times brings trouble over the course of a very funny series of episodes, set against an appealing bucolic background. Commotion breaks out as the blue-scarved duckling disrupts a jumpy horse and attracts the attention of the farmer's chase-happy dog. Variations on the titular refrain ("Carefully…Carefully…QUACK!" "Quickly…Quickly…QUACK!") anchor the rhythmic text. The trio flee to the woods, where they encounter a slumbering fox (this time the phrase "Silently, silently…" ends with a pleasingly unexpected "CRACK!" as the wayward duckling suppresses the urge to quack but steps on a stick). The ravenous fox is ready to gobble up the terrified youngsters, who cower "nervously…Nervously." The final "QUAAACCCKKK!!!" is a satisfyingly raucous one; young listeners will happily chime in during storytimes. Howley's minimalist depictions of the ducks--simple rounded shapes with sticklike legs--are a delight, and careful readers will realize that Momma Duck's well aware of her babies' adventure, despite their belief that they've fooled her. A quackin' good read-aloud.(Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.