When Duck and Goose enter the stage from opposite sides of the frontispiece, striding determinedly across a meadow toward a large, polka-dotted ball, the stage is set for a classic noodlehead story. Each believes the ball to be an egg. Each claims it, competes to hatch it and ends up sitting atop it together, whiling away long hours by agreeing on the many duck and goose skills they will teach their baby. When an observant bird points out that their egg is a ball, Duck and Goose, realizing their mistake, are just as happy to play with it. Delighted listeners will immediately see Duck and Goose’s mistake and wait expectantly for the predictable “big reveal.” Every artistic decision underscores the humor with deft mastery: the cheerful primary palette; the artfully balanced composition; and the simplicity of line that depicts every inch of these ridiculously earnest fowls, from the tips of their beaks to their expressive eyes to the bottoms of their feet. Duck and Goose’s gradual shift from adversaries to partners to playmates is indicated artfully by effective but subtle changes in book design and text. Readers will likely hope to see more of this adorable odd couple. (Picture book. 3-6)
