DUCKS LIKE TO SWIM
by Agnes Verboven & illustrated by Anne Westerduin
A pleasant visitation with barnyard animals, all of whom lend their voices to some rain-making on behalf of the ducks: ``One day there was not enough water. Mother duck quacks for rain. Quack! Quack! Who will help?'' Rooster lends a cock-a- doodle-doo, and one by one others give it up for the ducks, leading to one great, cacophonous chorus at the end. The rains come. Inspiring children to join in on animal noises is no difficult task, and other books have made similar appeals. But Westerduin's illustrations are glorious; rendered in alkyd, the art is resinous, voluptuously colored, and full of energy; the brushwork conveys not only a sense of movement, but also texture and form. Plan a noisy story hour, and then give children a chance to see the art up close. (Picture book. 2-5)