Little Quack’s New Friend

by Lauren Thompson

AR Test, Picture Book

At A Glance

Interest Level

4-8

Entertainment
Score

Reading Level
1.8

Number of Pages
32

One day when Little Quack is playing in the pond, he hears the strangest noise. He listens closely along with his siblings, Widdle, Waddle, Piddle, and Puddle, only to discover that it’s a frog in their pond! The other ducklings aren’t sure about taking this new guy under their wings, but Little Quack is determined to make a new friend no matter how different he may be! Soon, everyone is squishing in the mud, splunking on lily pads, and quacking up a splash in the spirit of friendship in this board book edition that is perfect for little ones!

Little Quack’s New Friend is an adorably cute, fun-to-read picture book that shows you can be friends with someone different than you. The five ducklings and the frog, Little Ribbit, have expressive faces that highlight their emotion. Readers may laugh at Little Quack’s siblings because they clearly don’t think playing with a frog is proper. After all, Little Ribbit is “too tiny,” “too green,” and he “can’t quack.” But when Little Quack and Little Rabbit play together, their faces radiate joy and happiness. The ducklings soon learn that they have something in common with Little Ribbit after all — “we all like to play!”

Each page of Little Quack’s New Friend features the five sibling ducklings. Each sibling has a characteristic that makes them easy to recognize. For example, one duck has a blue flower in her hair while another duck has spikey hair. Joyful illustration is bright primary colors and a splash of purple add to the fun tone. Little Quack’s New Friend is perfect for reading aloud because of the alliteration in the duck names and the fun onomatopoeias. Plus, it’s a quick read, with one to six short sentences and simple vocabulary.

Little Quack’s New Friend is a fun story that young readers will want to read again and again. The simple plot and cheerful illustrations will capture readers’ hearts. In the end, the ducklings connect because “we all like to play!” But beware: Little Quack’s New Friend may make your little one want to squish, bounce, and splash! Introduce more friendship-based books by reading Moon’s First Friends by Susanna Leonard Hill, Sparkly New Friends by Heather Ayris Burnell, and Bo’s Magical New Friend by Rebecca Elliott.

Sexual Content 