The Quacken by Justin Colón (review)

Reviewed by: The Quacken by Justin Colón Kate Quealy-Gainer Colón, Justin The Quacken; illus. by Pablo Pino. Simon, 2024 40p Trade ed. ISBN 9781665922487 18. 99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781665922494 10. 99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 4-7 yrs Things tend to go missing at Cucumonga Campground, likely victim to the "fearsome, ferocious, frightening creature" rumored to stalk its ground. Hector doesn't see anything suspicious upon his arrival at the camp, though. Instead, flocks and flocks of adorable ducks abound, and, despite the many warnings to not feed End Page 355 them, he all too happily throws out breadcrumbs to the feathered fowl. That's a big mistake—a huge duck rises from the water, hungrily looking for a meal, and Hector looks pretty tasty. Hector manages to give the gigantic duck chase, but the Quacken is relentless, eventually gulping down the little boy. It turns out, however, kids aren't nearly as yummy as they look, and the Quacken promptly vomits up Hector along with all the other missing items he's scarfed down. The melodramatic narration has a storyteller's flair, and an ending that hints at the Quacken's return makes a clever nod to the final scene of any successful creature feature. The digital art is a bit generic in its Pixar-like figures, but the pages are rife with visuals that add to the humor of the story, with multiple "Do Not Feed the Ducks" signs placed throughout the initial scenes, and, later, the various campers rifling through a pile of duck regurgitation full of missing objects (a giant boat, various pairs of socks). Pair this with Reynold's Creepy Carrots (BCCB 10/12) for a goofy celebration of silly scares. Copyright © 2024 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois