Duck on a Tractor

June 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.

Starred review from June 1, 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

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2016
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)

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January 1, 2017
Starting right where Duck on a Bike left off, Duck hops on a tractor, stopping only to pick up his barnyard buddies: Dog, Mouse, Sheep, etc. They make their way downtown, cruising past the diner and giving startled onlookers an eyeful. Shannon's easygoing text and his illustrations, too, humorously blend farmyard realism with judicious anthropomorphism.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2016
The last page of Duck on a Bike (rev. 3/02) showed our farm-dwelling protagonist contemplating a tractor, and this book picks up right where Bike left off. Duck hops on that tractor and never looks back, stopping only -- and sometimes not even stopping -- to pick up his barnyard buddies: buoyant Dog, eager Mouse, cautious Sheep, graceful Cat, Pig and Pig, etc. They make their way downtown, cruising past the diner and giving the startled onlookers an eyeful. Farmer O'Dell: "That's a dang nice tractorHey, that's my tractor!" Everyone races outside, only to find that the animals have skedaddled. "Nah!It couldn't have been!" "It was an optical illusion!" (Observant viewers will connect the dots between the boy holding the camera and the book's blurry last page.) Shannon's easygoing text tells us both what the characters are saying ("M-o-o-o!") and what they're thinking ("But what she thought was, This is the silliest thing I've ever done!'"). The illustrations, too, humorously blend farmyard realism with judicious anthropomorphism with artistic impressionism. There's real beauty -- that painterly sky! the textured brushstrokes! those Monet clouds! -- in the scene with Sheep soaring high overhead. elissa gershowitz

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)