5 Little Ducks

Fleming (Maggie and Michael Get Dressed) infuses a well-loved nursery song with the vivid hues of her signature pulp-painting illustrations in this joyful interpretation. The five tiny members of a mallard family waddle away from Papa Duck on Monday, headed “through the woods and far away,” but only four return when Papa calls them home with a “Quack, quack, quack!” The pattern repeats as the week rolls on, and also through a series of outdoor scenes—“past the paddock,” “across the fields,” and “down the road”—giving a strong sense of the ducks’ rural environs. By Saturday, the family is reunited, and on Sunday everyone follows Mama Duck’s advice: “Today is the day we all rest!” In addition to incorporating the days of the week into this adaptation, Fleming introduces farm and woodland animals (flying squirrels, wild turkeys, pigs, and more), further expanding the ducks’ world and readers’ experience. A closing section identifies these animals, as well as a girl named Anna, who splashes around with one duck in her wading pool on Friday. A fresh rendition of a favorite. Up to age 8. (Nov.)