Click, Clack, Surprise!

In this addition to the series that began with Click, Clack, Moo, it’s Little Duck’s birthday, and the farm animals are busy getting ready. Cronin merrily describes their preparations in repeating language (“The chickens take a dust bath to look their best. They shimmy-shake, shimmy-shake, shimmy-shake clean”), but the real fun comes as Little Duck mimics each animal, getting frizzier, dustier, and muddier in the process. Lewin adeptly portrays the story’s physical comedy in swoopy mixed-media scenes that build to a “Happy Birthday to... ewww!” finale. It’s goofy birthday fun that will probably have some readers shimmy-shaking and slurp-a-lurping along with the animals. Ages 4–8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Sept.)