DUCK'S VACATION
by Gilad Soffer ; illustrated by Gilad Soffer
Duck’s vacation is interrupted by readers; would they please just stop turning the pages?
Duck is relaxing on the island of Bora Bora (according to the passport stamp on the cover). He has his sunglasses, beach chair, ice cream and refreshing drink. It is the perfect vacation. That is, until readers decide to turn the page! Duck is bewildered. What just happened? His ice cream and sunglasses go flying. He explains to readers that he is on vacation and would like peace and quiet. He pleads: “Do. Not. Turn. Any. More. Pages.” Of course, readers will persist. At times, the action of flipping the page causes items on the beach to scatter, further annoying Duck. Yet other times the chaos cannot be ascribed to readers, such as an instant blizzard or a large crowd, both of which disappear in a blink. When pirates arrive on the scene, Duck is fed up and decides to leave the book altogether. The pirates don’t mind; they have a story to tell. If only there were enough pages left. In the metafictive picture-book market, this effort doesn't stand out as particularly inventive or amusing, struggling to sustain the conceit over 40 pages.
While propelling energy lags, large storytime crowds may be able to infuse it with their own.
(Picture book. 3-6)