Duck's Vacation by Gilad Soffner - OPTIONAL

Soffer, Gilad Duck’s Vacation, PICTUREBOOK. MacMillan (Fiewel and Friends), 2015. $17.99. Content: G. 

Duck is on vacation and is looking forward to a relaxing time. But every time the reader turns the page, something changes in Duck’s vacation and he is getting mad. Wind, other animals, people, (lots of people) bad weather, even pirates who want to cook and eat duck.  He’s had it and leaves the book. Who will tell the pirate’s story?  Every page turn was a surprise as the thread running through the story was Duck and Beach, so, really anything could happen (and sort of did).  

This example of metafiction (not really interaction because the reader doesn’t make any choices other than turning the page) was fun and clever.  The duck talks directly to the reader and recognizes that he is part of a book.  Not spectacular, though. The motion of the page turn doesn’t make the reader think they caused what happened, only that the next page happens. I don’t know that I’d hear “Oh! Read it again!”  

EL  (K-3) - OPTIONAL  Lisa Librarian