Synopses & Reviews
Crack open this tale of family and fright, as cute as it is creepy. All the animals in the zoo have friends and family to play with and love. All of them, that is, except Quackenstein. Lonely and bitter in his ramshackle corner, he decides to adopt an egg. He cares for it diligently, waiting until the moment when it will hatch a baby duck of his own.
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On a dark and stormy night, the egg hatches, Quackenstein cackles, and lightning strikes, but waitand#8212;whatand#8217;s this? That babyand#8217;s not a duck! What will he do? Where can he hide? And will Quackenstein ever find someone (or something) to cuddle? Sudipta Bardhan-Quallenand#8217;s clever rhyming text is perfectly paired with cute and spooky art from Brian T. Jones.
"Jones gleefully uses every clichand#233; in the book, from lurid lettering and backgrounds to effective use of silhouettes and shadows. Bardhan-Quallen, too, takes advantage of horror-movie tropes, but she also mixes in some instruction in the form of cumulative nouns for animals. The surprise twist at the end happily resolves Quackand#8217;s fatherless state." -Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
In this spirited reworking of the classic song and#8220;The Twelve Days of Christmas,and#8221; Joy has to deal with her first Christmas with a new baby brotherand#8212;and nothing could be worse. He drools on the ornaments and ruins the presents, he eats all the cookies and smashes the snowmen, and heand#8217;s on the verge of taking over the whole holiday. Joyand#8217;s patience runs out as the babyand#8217;s mishaps pile up. A sweet surprise turns the tables on Joy, who eventually appreciates what her baby brother adds to the holiday.
Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and Ryan Wood pair perfectly for this funny holiday book with a sibling-appreciation message that will make readers laugh and sing along with every reading.
About the Author
Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen visits schools to share her stories, and teaches writing. She lives in New Jersey with her three children. Visit her online at www.sudipta.com.
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Brian T. Jones is a graduate of the Otis College of Art and Design whose work has appeared in the New Yorker. He lives in Pasadena, California. Visit him online at www.briantjones.com.