cover image Truck Full of Ducks

Truck Full of Ducks

Ross Burach. Scholastic Press, $17.99 (40p) ISBN 978-1-338-12936-6

In the oddball world of Burach’s story, a dog operates a company called Truck Full of Ducks. “We deliver ducks... Anytime! Anywhere!” boasts one of several signs in the office. After one duck eats the directions to their next delivery location, the dog improvises, asking a variety of citizens the same question: “Did you call for a truck full of ducks?” Burach (Billy Bloo Is Stuck in Goo) tells his story entirely through dialogue, packing it—and his exuberant, crayon-like digital illustrations—with visual jokes and groan-worthy puns. “I called for a truck full of crackers... not quackers!” crows a pirate with a parrot. Eventually, the dog finds his destination in the “deep dark woods,” where the goggle-eyed ducks file nervously into the home of a hungry-looking fox. Luckily, it turns out to be a “bathtime gig”—just another day at work. The story takes a while to build to this moment of tension, but the ducks’ encounters with pirates, aliens, and others are entertaining, and Burach includes an abundance of funny details to discover in each scene. Ages 4–8. Agent: Lara Perkins, Andrea Brown Literary. (Mar.)