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No matter what Mother Duck suggests, one of her restless ducklings wants to do it first. “Me first! Me first!” he says, to playing, fishing, and bathing.
He always gets there before his siblings, but he doesn’t enjoy the moment, and he’s oblivious to the chaos he leaves behind. When he jumps into the bath first, he splashes the others, and when he rushes off to fish, he knocks over his mother.
This lack of awareness results in the duck charging uninvited into an outdoor picnic where the diners are having duck for dinner. Duck is a quick thinker, though, and he manages to sneak away by impersonating a cat.
Escoffier’s story comes alive as a read-aloud because of the repetitive, energetic dialogue. Kris Di Giacomo’s (Brief Thief) illustrations feature loose lines and dulled colors.
Children who know The Doghouse by Jan Thomas will see a similarity in the ending but with a different focus; Me First! is about impatience, while The Doghouse is about fear of dogs.
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Me First!