Randy Cecil

A wooden duck longs to fly in this sweet animal adventure, the second of Randy Cecil's tales - following upon Gator - to explore the lives of a group of carousel animals. Lying on the cobblestones and looking up at the stars, Duck dreams of taking wing, of approaching those twinkling lights. And then one day in Spring, a tiny yellow duckling appears, and Duck finds herself with something new to think about: how best to raise a Duckling. Can a wooden Duck teach a flesh-and-blood Duckling how show more to fly; and will she want to, when the consequences will prove so hurtful...?

I enjoyed Duck, with its poignant tale of love found, then lost, and then found again. The illustrations, which are done in oil paint, and which alternate between full-page spreads and partial page inserts, have a quirky charm that is very endearing. I particularly liked the contrast between the earthy tones used throughout, and the brighter colors of Duck's scarf. I don't know that my appreciation was strong enough to hunt down the first title, but should it ever come my way, I would definitely pick it up! show less

A delightful picture book/early chapter book hybrid. Charming, cinematic, and poignant. Gorgeously illustrated. I love a femme action hero protagonist, especially one with a gender-bending name.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Douglas is a mouse that might not have sought adventure but learns to cope like her movie star namesake when adventure pulls her from her movie theater home and out into the world.

The book is bursting with charm. Main and supporting characters are memorable. The prose is sparing employed but still manages to convey a lot of emotion. The illustrations are marvelous, static but dynamic at the same time.

It is a great story for readers transitioning from picture to chapter books. Also makes a show more great read aloud and introduction to inferences.

A strong effort all around and well worth a read. show less

After a very good life, the dog named Lucy, is homeless. She lives in a box and every day is consumed with finding food. She's not above stealing meat from Paul Bertoli's Butcher Shop. In addition, Lou's diner provides questionable scraps, but it only temporarily fills her stomach before she goes foraging again.

Lucy's affection is saved for a stuffed cat animal. When it goes missing, she is sadder than sad. She found the apartment building with a red door. She knows a girl named Eleanor show more lives inside and that she provides food from her bedroom window by lowering the item via a string.

Eleanor's father has a steady job, but he loves to juggle -- he is good at it. But, the first few times he performed at the local theatre, he froze and dropped all his glass snow globes and the dishes used for his acts.

Lucy, Eleanor and her father are wonderfully portrayed. Poor Lucy, one cannot help feeling badly about her. As she walks through the small town of Bloomville, she sees women lovingly walking their dogs. Seeing this brings back memories of her previous world of food and a warm place to sleep, and the contrast between then and now is stark.

Eleanor coaches her father while watching him perform his juggling tricks at home. He then begins to juggle on the sidewalks which gives him confidence to try performing in the theatre again. When he does so, he uses soft animal toys. Lucy finds Eleanor at the theatre and then goes on stage to retrieve her lost cat stuffed animal toy. As she jumps through the toys, she becomes part of the act and hears thunderous applause.

Lucy now has a loving home with Eleanor and her father. Now, she has a steady supply of food, and a warm bed as well as a lot of affection.

The illustrations are expressive rendered in black and white pencils. This is a charming, cute book.

Highly Recommended. Four Stars show less