A truck driver delivers a bow-topped wooden crate to Duck in the opening images. Farmer Brown hears nary a sound: "Everyone was watching the egg." Cronin's clipped rhymes build anticipation ("Not a moo./ Not a click./ Not an oink./ Not a clack"), while Lewin's double-spread portrait of cows, pigs, sheep, mice, chickens, Farmer Brown and Duck shows all of their attention trained on that egg. "Then... a crack." Vignettes of the animals gathering closer to the egg telegraph the passage of time until out comes... "Baby Duck!" The trouble is, Baby Duck won't sleep ("peep peep peep"). Lewin depicts heavy-lidded cows, pigs and chickens as they all try their hooves and wings at lulling Baby Duck to sleep. (The sheep even knit a blanket.) Purple shadows cast over the creatures indicate nightfall, and still the duckling peep peep peeps.
Parents will enjoy Duck's solution as much as young readers will--even though Farmer Brown is once again a bit distressed (Hint: it involves the tractor). A great choice for children with new siblings and for new parents. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness