Picture Book Review – The Duckling Gets A Cookie?! – Mo Willems (Author & Illustrator)
Recommended for – Toddlers/Younger Readers
I love Mo Willems. I really, really do. It
doesn’t seem possible for him to write anything that isn’t, at the very least,
superb. More often than not it’s brilliant, and he’s managed it once again with
The Duckling Gets a Cookie?!.
When the Duckling asks for and receives a
cookie, the Pigeon is outraged. Especially as he loves cookies. Especially ones
with nuts. As he is quick to point out, he asks for things all the time but
never receives them. It’s not fair at all, but in the middle of the ranting and
raving, the Duckling tells him that he asked for it so that he could give it to
the Pigeon. Finally happy, the Pigeon eats his cookie, as the Duckling asks for
another (without nuts this time).
It’s difficult to think of many characters
that are funnier when they’re ranting in a children’s picture book than the
Pigeon. His reasoning for why he deserves a cookie as he’s always asking for
things is pure gold, referencing previous books to great effect, even being
brought to tears from the injustice of it all at one point. The Duckling, of
course, is incredibly cute and gets his way because of it, but we know really
that he’s a bit sneaky, playing on his cuteness at every turn. It’s good fun
watching him emphasise the fact that he asked ‘politely’ several times though.
I've mentioned the Pigeon ranting already,
but I feel I need to mention it again, so brilliant it is each time. I've
always been a fan of comedians and characters that rant about mundane things,
and it’s like watching a miniaturised version of Rhod Gilbert. Wonderful stuff.
If you’ve not read any Mo Willems yet,
pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee do something about it!
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