One Cool Duck: The Far-Out Fort

Gr 1-4–When Cool Duck and his friends realize they need a new place to hang out, they decide to build a tree house. Each friend brings specific skills to the project, such as Turkey painting with her feathers, or Cat putting in a TV. Though the piece is charming and nostalgic, with their heavy use of slang and X-treme sports activities, Cool Duck and his friends feel incredibly reminiscent of 1990s fast food ad campaigns, which may be unrelatable to young readers. Older children might enjoy their antics, but those using this as an easy reader will find it’s not meeting them on their level. The team will often make fun of one another without ever addressing the matter, making the piece feel even more out of touch. Word choice is usually simple, as this seems geared toward the early reader set, but curveballs, such as “bodacious” and “dope-as-a-cantaloupe” feel out of place. Illustrations are the highlight, as the strong outlining and bold, modern color palette make the characters really come to life.