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*Farmer Duck with Audio (Candlewick Storybook Audio)* by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
 
Also by Martin Waddell:

Bee Frog

 
Also written and/or illustrated by Helen Oxenbury:

It's My Birthday
Farmer Duck with Audio (Candlewick Storybook Audio)
by Martin Waddell, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
Ages 3-5 40 pages Candlewick February 2011 Paperback    

Duck lives on a farm with a lazy farmer. While Duck cleans the house and takes care of the animals, the farmer lies in bed eating chocolates. He supervises by asking the duck “How goes the work?” The duck can only answer with a “Quack!”, but the other animals on the farm know how the duck really feels.

The cow, sheep and chickens decide to help the duck by easing his workload. They sneak into the farmer’s house at night, lift his bed, and chase him out of the house and off the property. The next day, when the duck does the chores, he doesn’t hear “How goes the work?” Instead, he sees his friends ready to help out.

Farmer Duck was originally published in 1991, but this 2011 edition comes with a CD with fifty-three tracks. Following a dramatic audio version of the story (music by Barry Gibson), are several participation activities involving acting, listening, and playing. Vocabulary from the book is used when the children have to guess which character is being described. In another, they listen to noises, identify the animal, and then join in.

Oxenbury’s (We’re Going on a Bear Hunt) watercolor illustrations show just how never-ending farm work can be when you have no help. But after the animals chase the farmer away and help with the chores, the sun comes out, the colors brighten, and Duck looks happier working on the farm.

Waddell (Owl Babies, Snow Bears) has written a book that would be fun to read aloud to preschoolers on any occasion.
 


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  Tanya Boudreau/2011 for curled up with a good kid's book  






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