Common Sense Media Review
Celebrates bond between kids and grandparents.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
It is a rainy day and Baby Duck has a bit of a cold and is home with her mother. Her Grandpa comes for a visit, bringing a "cheering-up present." The present is a photo album of pictures of Baby Duck when she was younger, including pictures of her first steps, her first birthday party, and her first ride in a wagon. Sitting on Grandpa's lap, Baby Duck thoroughly enjoys the visit and the book. Feeling better, she hops out of Grandpa's lap and draws a picture of the two of them for him.
Is It Any Good?
Baby Duck has the sort of life that we would all like for our young children; her world is safe and orderly yet stimulating, and she is loved by everyone around her. Her story is written for preschool-age children with an emphasis on their interests and concerns. While the story is quite simple, the characters and details seem authentic. For example, when baby Duck decides to draw a picture, she slides off of the chair. That is just what a tiny child must do because the floor is far below.
Using only dots for eyes and the requisite duck bills for mouths, the illustrator successfully imbues the faces of the characters with a full range of emotions. In addition, the pastel-shade watercolor art is carefully rendered and cheerful. Young children will identify with and enjoy the quiet day with Baby Duck and her Grandpa.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the things Baby Duck and her grandpa like to do together. Do you get to play with your grandparents a lot? What kinds of things do you do, or would like to do, with them?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Jill Barton
- Genre : Picture Book
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Candlewick Press
- Publication date : May 12, 2004
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 7
- Number of pages : 28
- Last updated : July 12, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate