Duck Skates

Lynne Berry

It's kind of hard to believe that the same Lynne Berry who was responsible for The Curious Demise of a Contrary Cat wrote this lovely, lighthearted little book as well. I mean, sure, there's the same excellent wordplay, the same mastery of poetry (which Berry does better than many writers of adult books of formal verse), the same sense of whimsy. But, really, no one gets turned into a frog. There should be more books where other beings get turned into frogs.

Lack of biological transmutation aside, if you're looking for a birthday present for your preschooler, it's pretty hard to go wrong with Lynne Berry. The story, ostensibly, is about five ducks who go skating. Yes, the title of the book is quite informative in that regard. But what's going on beneath the surface here is a deep-rooted appreciation for numbers and the wonderful things you can do with them. And Berry takes her five ducks and sections them up in just about every way you can think of. Kids are not only getting an interesting, easy-to-follow story (with super-cute Hiroe Nakata illustrations), but a basic math primer at the same time.

Definitely one for the permanent library.