From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2--This award-winning team returns with a third story of farm animals with ambition. Duck is tired of doing his chores (mowing the lawn and grinding the coffee beans), and decides to hold an election to replace Farmer Brown. When he wins, Duck quickly realizes that running a farm requires too much hard work, and sets out to run for governor. With the help of the hens, and speeches "that only other ducks can understand," he eventually ends up running the country. Executive office gives him a headache, however, so Duck returns to the farm to work on his autobiography--on a computer, with the typewriter from Click, Clack, Moo(S & S, 2000) in the wastepaper bin next to him. Lewin's characteristic humorous watercolors with bold black outlines fill the pages with color and jokes. Cronin's text is hilarious for kids and adults and includes a little math and quite a bit about the electoral process. The animals, who have no verbal language that humans can understand, are empowered by the use of the written word, and the subliminal message comes through loud and clear--one can almost hear youngsters thinking, "Watch out grown-ups! Just wait till I learn to read."--Jane Barrer, Washington Square Village Creative Steps, New York City Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Book Description
My fellow Americans: It is our pleasure, our honor, our duty as citizens to present to you Duck for President. Here is a duck who began in a humble pond. Who worked his way to farmer. To governor. And now, perhaps, to the highest office in the land. Some say, if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck, he is a duck. We say, if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck, he will be the next president of the United States of America. Thank you for your vote.


About the Author
Doreen Cronin is the author of the best-selling Giggle, Giggle, Quack; Diary of a Worm; and Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, which was named a Caldecott Honor Book. She lives in New York with her husband, Andrew.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
The talented team who brought you the Caldecott Honor winner Click, Clack, Moo turn their sights on politics in this knee-slapping picture book starring a duck with designs on public office.

Back on the farm, Duck is fed up with chores that leave him "picking tiny bits of grass and espresso beans out of his feathers." So with a sign that reads "Farmer Brown Must Go! Farm Election Tomorrow!" the ambitious bird throws his hat in the ring, launching a remarkably successful political career. After winning the barnyard election, Duck realizes that his situation hasn't improved, and he decides to turn his attention to the governorship -- and the presidency. As it turns out, our web-footed friend has a positive gift for campaigning. He connects with voters through pancake breakfasts, parades, and television appearances and lands himself in the Oval Office! Sound like a great job? "'Running the country is no fun at all,'" thinks Duck, and with the "help" of a help-wanted ad, he peacefully retires to do what all great presidents do to preserve their legacy.

Cronin and Lewin's tale is just the ticket for lighthearted inspiration and serious laughter. Clever illustrations of Duck striking presidential poses -- including a tongue-in-cheek scene of him pondering his "fowl" fate in rough times -- are simply hysterical, making this a silly read for young kids and an even funnier one for more sophisticated types. No quacks about it, our vote goes to this dynamic duck. Matt Warner

ANNOTATION

When Duck gets tired of working for Farmer Brown, his political ambition eventually leads to his being elected President.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Our Fellow Americans:

It is our pleasure, our honor, our duty as citizens to present to you Duck for President. Here is a duck who began in a humble pond. Who worked his way to farmer. To governor. And now, perhaps, to the highest office in the land.

You may think you know duck from Click, Clack, Moo. Or from Giggle, Giggle, Quack. But there's much more to Duck. Much, much more

Some say, if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck, he is a duck.

We say, if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck, he will be the next president of the United States of America. Ladies and gentleman, you owe it to your country to elect Duck for President.

Thank you for your vote.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

As the run-up to the 2004 presidential election gathers momentum, it appears that George W. Bush may have more than Democrats on his tail. Duck, the ever-scheming star of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type has thrown his feathers in the ring. Fed-up with the drudgery of his barnyard chores, Duck decides to officially buck authority and hold an election to determine who should be in charge. The web-footed wonder narrowly defeats Farmer Brown, but soon discovers that running a farm is not all it's cracked up to be. Duck plans a move to greener pastures by entering-and eventually winning-the race for governor. However, for the ambitious feathered hero, only the highest office in the land will do, and he charts a course for the Oval Office, which also has its drawbacks. Though Cronin's latest Duck tale introduces the basic mechanics of the election process, it lacks many of the silly high jinks and clever plot turns that gave its predecessors their charm. A few nods to past presidents appear in both text and art (Nixon, Clinton, G.H.W. Bush), offering older readers a knowing wink. The focus on Duck's dissatisfaction and loneliness at the top makes the story line perhaps better suited to adults, even as Lewin's chunky-outlined watercolors continue to cater to the younger crowd with her usual dashes of humor and daffy sweetness. Her depictions of the campaign-trail motorcades, parades and town meetings are a hoot. All ages. (Mar.) FYI: The book will have a March 2 laydown date. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Susie Wilde

Duck showed he was shrewd and politically savvy in Caldecott Honor winning, Click, Clack Moo Cows that Type and its sequel, Giggle, Giggle Quack. When he tires of grinding the farmer's espresso beans, he decides it is time to run for head of the farm. It is no surprise that he crushes the farmer in the farm election. The surprise comes when, despite missing ballots, recounts show Duck narrowly defeating the governor and then, the President of the United States. Duck has a surprise, too. He soon realizes running states and countries is not much fun and heads back to the farm, content to write his autobiography. This book is filled with adult-pleasing references of sticky missing ballots and playing the saxophone on late-night television. Seriously, folks, this book leads not only to chuckles, but to aptly describing the burden of chores connected to glorious offices. 2004, Simon & Schuster, Ages 5 up.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-This award-winning team returns with a third story of farm animals with ambition. Duck is tired of doing his chores (mowing the lawn and grinding the coffee beans), and decides to hold an election to replace Farmer Brown. When he wins, Duck quickly realizes that running a farm requires too much hard work, and sets out to run for governor. With the help of the hens, and speeches "that only other ducks can understand," he eventually ends up running the country. Executive office gives him a headache, however, so Duck returns to the farm to work on his autobiography-on a computer, with the typewriter from Click, Clack, Moo (S & S, 2000) in the wastepaper bin next to him. Lewin's characteristic humorous watercolors with bold black outlines fill the pages with color and jokes. Cronin's text is hilarious for kids and adults and includes a little math and quite a bit about the electoral process. The animals, who have no verbal language that humans can understand, are empowered by the use of the written word, and the subliminal message comes through loud and clear-one can almost hear youngsters thinking, "Watch out grown-ups! Just wait till I learn to read."-Jane Barrer, Washington Square Village Creative Steps, New York City Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews