02/05/2024

Per a creators’ note, nesting ducks at a Long Island community theater inspired Andrews and Walton Hamilton’s latest high-spirited collaboration. Looking for a safe place to lay eggs, Mr. and Mrs. Puddleduck “waddled and toddled... pottered and padded” around town before settling into flower box outside a lively theater. While Mrs. P protects the nest, Mr. P ventures into the building, watching feather-fan-waving performers whose “spellbinding story, with sensational songs and dazzling dances” inspires his enthusiastic, and noticeable, response. But when the hatched ducklings’ arrival upstages Mr. P’s dramatics, performers and Puddleducks alike must herd the hatchlings safely to the water in a “fabulous, feathered finale.” Alliterative prose and over-the-top humor render a lively farce, while Keller’s texture-rich digital artwork presents spindly human figures of various skin tones with expressions and body language that elevate the story’s high-kicking energy. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)

"In a charming appended note, the authors mention the story’s inspiration (the rescue of newly hatched ducklings from the courtyard of a theater on Long Island) and encourage parents to introduce their children to the arts as a pathway to greater confidence and creativity. The imaginative, digital illustrations will draw children to this appealing picture book."—Booklist

"Adorable, enchanting, and very ducky indeed."—Kirkus Reviews

Praise for The First Notes:

* "A charming collaboration that strikes just the right notes." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Gentle yet expressive illustrations pay tribute to these accomplishments with square patterns, illuminated manuscripts, and other cultural details from the time period. Note-able, indeed!" —Booklist, starred review

"Andrews and Hamilton’s step-by-step prose, and Fedele’s colored pencil, gouache, and watercolor illustrations of vibrant Italian landscapes…successfully combine to evoke strong emotions around Guido’s eventual success." —Publishers Weekly
 

Praise for The Very Fairy Princess:
#1 New York Times bestselling series!

"The mother-daughter team successfully demonstrates an understanding of that magical stage of childhood in which determination, desire and dreams can transform reality." —Kirkus Reviews

"Geraldine radiates noblesse oblige, heedless energy, and a sense of destiny—she's Eloise crossed with Hillary Clinton." —Publishers Weekly

"[Geraldine] lets kids know it's not necessary to be prim and proper to be a 'real' princess; princesses who just want to have fun will find plenty of that here." —Booklist

Praise for The Very Fairy Princess Takes the Stage:

"Davenier's expressive illustrations match Geradline's energy and mood on every spread, fluidly conveying the heroine's lovable imperfections." —Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Very Fairy Princess: Graduation Girl!:

"Davenier's lithe illustrations infuse the story with warmth and quiet emotion; Andrews's and Hamilton's heroine continues to charm." —Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Very Fairy Princess: Attitude of Gratitude: 

"Readers will have no trouble coming up with ways to incorporate a bit of gratitude into their lives, and Gerry's breezily confident narration and Davenier's airy artwork are as appealing as ever." —Publishers Weekly

"Exudes optimism and cheerfulness...a touch of sass adds humor to the gentle story." —The Washington Post

2024-01-05
Feathered newcomers make a memorable theater debut in this latest from actor Andrews and her daughter Hamilton.

Mr. Puddleduck assures his concerned spouse that they’ll find the right place to build a nest for their first clutch of eggs. Exhausted Mrs. P hops into a flower box outside a theater displaying a poster of a performer holding a feathered fan (“That’s a good sign,” says Mr. P). Mrs. P lays her eggs, and Mr. P notes activities inside and outside the building. Peeking in, Mr. P is dazzled by musicians as well as performers wearing glittery costumes: It’s a show! After one rehearsal, Mr. P excitedly quacks and flaps his wings, then feels embarrassed when the performers notice him. He exits but is greeted by Mrs. P’s cacophonous quacking: The newly hatched ducklings, tumbling from the flower box onto the street, must be led to the water, pronto! Mr. P, having learned something about stagecraft, shouts, “Places, everyone!” The ducklings form their own perfect “chorus line,” and the musicians play a marching tune. Indeed, all the performers, as well as various townsfolk, join the parade as the ducklings follow their parents into the water, to a rousing ovation. Bravo to this sweet, gently humorous tale. Readers will be captivated by and root for the protagonists and appreciate the theater setting and denouement. The colorful digital illustrations incorporate lively onomatopoeic words. Human characters are diverse.

Adorable, enchanting, and very ducky indeed. (authors’ note) (Picture book. 5-8)