Have You Been Naughty or Nice?

Duck, star of Tickle the Duck! and Stop Kissing Me! , is confident he's been nice. Case in point: he's baked a batch of cookies for Santa. But the steaming treats are irresistible and he noisily gobbles them up. When he realizes what he's done, he erupts into tears: “I've been a naughty duck!” The simple layout of Long's illustrations—the action takes place in a single room with a green wall, Christmas tree and fireplace—lets Duck's kinesics take center stage. An earnest apology sets him free, and readers might have their own anxieties assuaged. Ages 3–6. (Oct.)