Waiting in the Wings

January 1, 2024
Preschool-Grade 3 Mr. and Mrs. Puddleduck, first-time expectant parents, are unable to find a suitable nesting spot beside the water, so they waddle into town. After checking out the library and fire station, they make their nest in a flower box within the courtyard of a nearby theater. Mrs. P lays her eggs there. The clangs and bangs of set construction are offset by the wonderful sounds made by musicians onstage. But one day, Mr. P hears Mrs. P calling. The chicks have hatched and need to get to water quickly! Musicians and dancers rush outside to stop traffic with a chorus line, enabling the Puddleduck family to reach the water safely. Mr. P promises a return engagement next year for an encore. In a charming appended note, the authors mention the story's inspiration (the rescue of newly hatched ducklings from the courtyard of a theater on Long Island) and encourage parents to introduce their children to the arts as a pathway to greater confidence and creativity. The imaginative, digital illustrations will draw children to this appealing picture book. "Bravo!"

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February 5, 2024
Per a creators’ note, nesting ducks at a Long Island community theater inspired Andrews and Walton Hamilton’s latest high-spirited collaboration. Looking for a safe place to lay eggs, Mr. and Mrs. Puddleduck “waddled and toddled... pottered and padded” around town before settling into flower box outside a lively theater. While Mrs. P protects the nest, Mr. P ventures into the building, watching feather-fan-waving performers whose “spellbinding story, with sensational songs and dazzling dances” inspires his enthusiastic, and noticeable, response. But when the hatched ducklings’ arrival upstages Mr. P’s dramatics, performers and Puddleducks alike must herd the hatchlings safely to the water in a “fabulous, feathered finale.” Alliterative prose and over-the-top humor render a lively farce, while Keller’s texture-rich digital artwork presents spindly human figures of various skin tones with expressions and body language that elevate the story’s high-kicking energy. Ages 4–8.

February 1, 2024
Feathered newcomers make a memorable theater debut in this latest from actor Andrews and her daughter Hamilton. Mr. Puddleduck assures his concerned spouse that they'll find the right place to build a nest for their first clutch of eggs. Exhausted Mrs. P hops into a flower box outside a theater displaying a poster of a performer holding a feathered fan ("That's a good sign," says Mr. P). Mrs. P lays her eggs, and Mr. P notes activities inside and outside the building. Peeking in, Mr. P is dazzled by musicians as well as performers wearing glittery costumes: It's a show! After one rehearsal, Mr. P excitedly quacks and flaps his wings, then feels embarrassed when the performers notice him. He exits but is greeted by Mrs. P's cacophonous quacking: The newly hatched ducklings, tumbling from the flower box onto the street, must be led to the water, pronto! Mr. P, having learned something about stagecraft, shouts, "Places, everyone!" The ducklings form their own perfect "chorus line," and the musicians play a marching tune. Indeed, all the performers, as well as various townsfolk, join the parade as the ducklings follow their parents into the water, to a rousing ovation. Bravo to this sweet, gently humorous tale. Readers will be captivated by and root for the protagonists and appreciate the theater setting and denouement. The colorful digital illustrations incorporate lively onomatopoeic words. Human characters are diverse. Adorable, enchanting, and very ducky indeed. (authors' note) (Picture book. 5-8)

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May 24, 2024

PreS-Gr 2-In this utterly charming picture book, mother-daughter team Andrews and Hamilton tell the story of ducks who hatch their young just outside a theater. Based on true events, the story plays out from the ducks' perspectives. Mr. Puddleduck is drawn into a love of the stage as he and Mrs. Puddleduck wait for their eggs to hatch. After observing rehearsals day after day, Mr. Puddleduck develops a flair for the dramatic, resulting in an exuberantly theatrical march to the water once the ducklings make their grand entrance. Positive themes of caring and community are woven into the book's messaging as the theater's performers and other townspeople drop everything to usher the duck family to safety. Cheerful digital illustrations rendered in a loose, painterly style incorporate dynamic perspectives and angles, complementing the lively tone of the text. Human characters are depicted with a variety of skin tones, ages, and body types. An uplifting author's note shares the real events that inspired this book and reinforces the story's central message about the value of introducing children to the arts from a young age. VERDICT A delightful addition to any picture book collection. Animal lovers and theater kids of all ages will eagerly flock to this title.-Allison Tran

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