Duck on a Tractor

by David Shannon, David Shannon (Illustrator)

Overview

Bestselling Caldecott Honor artist David Shannon tells the story of a determined duck who decides to jump on a tractor and drive it around the barnyard and through town, with hilarious consequences!

David Shannon's wildly popular, award-winning Duck on a Bike left children begging him to tell them another story about Duck after seeing him pictured alongside a shiny red tractor. Now Duck is back and turning the farm upside down! Flushed with the success of his trailblazing bike ride around the farm, Duck decides he's ready to drive the tractor. As in the bestselling Duck on a Bike, all the barnyard animals share their humorous comments as they watch Duck do the unthinkable. Then, one by one, they join him on the tractor for a ride! But what happens when Duck drives the big red tractor through town, past the popular diner where all the locals are having lunch? What will those folks really think when they see Duck and all the other animals riding around on Farmer O'Dell's tractor? Filled with entertaining detail and sly jokes, readers will pore over each picture again and again. Perfect for reading aloud!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545619417
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	09/13/2016
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	321,044
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD570L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

David Shannon is the internationally acclaimed creator of more than 40 picture books, including No, David!, a Caldecott Honor Book, and his second New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year, and four more David picture books. Shannon's bestsellers include A Bad Case of Stripes, Duck on a Bike, and Too Many Toys. He lives in Southern California with his family and Roy, their West Highland white terrier.

Hometown:

Los Angeles, California

Date of Birth:

October 5, 1960

Place of Birth:

Washington, D. C. (Raised in Spokane, Washington)

Education:

B.A., Art Center College of Design

Editorial Reviews

06/20/2016
The star of 2002’s Duck on a Bike decides that the tractor is next on his transportation bucket list, and he invites all of his barnyard friends to join his joyride. When the motorized pile-on reaches the local diner, the humans lunching there are flabbergasted. The exuberant physicality of Shannon’s characterizations is always a treat, but he’s not entirely successful in surmounting the challenges of his premise. He uses some imaginative framings to bring the animals onto the tractor (Goat climbs up one of the giant tires, Horse sprawls across the hood), but the compositions end up unfocused. He also brings back the refrain-like motif from Duck on a Bike, in which his characters say one thing and think another. But that same motif is given to all the awestruck humans as well, causing the story to drag a bit (although the guy who says, “I must be seeing things,” while thinking “Oh, no—not again!” must have quite the backstory). The funny ending, involving an empty gas tank, leaves the humans concluding that the vision was all an illusion. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

* "Characters' exaggerated facial expressions and body language will keep kids giggling, while dynamic compositions and changing points of view add to the pitch-perfect comedic timing... An energetic, laugh-out-loud tale that's a worthy companion to Duck's first big adventure." — School Library Journal, starred reviewPraise for Duck on a Bike:"Shannon makes the most of awkward appendages on wheels and handlebars, and deftly balances clean compositions with just the right amount of detail. Varying perspectives — including the chicken's-eye-view of Duck's bike wheel looming large — provide plenty of good-natured dash. Add to all this the abundant opportunity for youngsters to chime in with barnyard responses ('M-o-o-o'; 'Cluck! Cluck!'), and the result is one swell read-aloud, packed with freewheeling fun." — Publishers Weekly"This delightful story will have youngsters chiming in on the repeated phrases and predicting, in no time, what will happen next, and the many animal sounds provide ample opportunities for role-playing. Shannon's brightly colored spreads are filled with humor." — School Library JournalPraise for Bugs in My Hair!:"Shannon's informative and amusing text lets readers know that everyone feels embarrassed and grossed out by lice, and his gigantic, googly-eyed bugs add to both the humor and the yuck factor." — The Horn Book"Libraries everywhere should have this book, as this perennial problem crops up in just about every community." — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 06/01/2016
PreS-Gr 2—A daring duck gets the wild idea to ride an unattended bike down on the farm in Shannon's Duck on a Bike. At the very end of that now classic storytime title, the mischievous drake spies a tractor, thereby setting the stage for this delightful follow-up. Duck decides to drive the massive red vehicle into town, with his fellow barnyard pals piled comically on top. As they roll down the main road and past the local diner, the townsfolk exclaim in wonder, disbelief, and concern. Following the pattern of the first book, each character says one thing but thinks something else ("Deputy Bob blabbered, 'If that don't beat all!' But what he thought was, 'How am I gonna explain this to the sheriff?' "). Careful observers may notice some striking similarities between the human residents and the farm animals. The folksy dialogue and repetition make this ideal for reading aloud. It's Shannon's painterly and exuberant artwork, however, that steals the show. Characters' exaggerated facial expressions and body language will keep kids giggling, while dynamic compositions and changing points of view add to the pitch-perfect comedic timing. VERDICT An energetic, laugh-out-loud tale that's a worthy companion to Duck's first big adventure.—Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal

School Library Journal

2016-06-01
In this similarly funny sequel to Duck on a Bike (2002), Shannon's adventurous Duck returns to conquer his next riding challenge—a tractor!Though Duck's fellow animals have some doubts, his prior triumph subdues them. "Well, if he can ride a bike, maybe he can drive a tractor, too!" It's a rough go at first, as, unlike a bike, a tractor requires ignition. But after a quick twiddle with the pedals and sticks, Duck turns on the big red machine, perfecting his tractor-driving skills in no time. The fun begins when he invites everyone to hop aboard. As Goat, Cow, Dog, Pig and Pig, and the rest of the gang clamber, jump, and fly to join Duck on the tractor, the resulting chaos delights and thrills with every manic facial expression and every bleat, yowl, and holler. Things take another turn for the delightful when Duck steers onto the main road and trundles by a diner full of people, including some familiar faces. The ensuing reaction shots from the diner's patrons range from wacky to comically bewildered, utilizing a tight wide angle to frame each batch of faces. Zany humor once again radiates from both pictures and text: reading out loud is a real delight. Bright, textured colors heighten the madcap antics of each character. The finale wraps things up with a mischievous wink. Fans of Duck's previous outing will revel in this return to gentle anarchy. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews