TWOHY, Mike. Outfoxed. illus. by author. 40p. S & S/Paula Wiseman Bks. Sept. 2013. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-7392-8; ebook available. LC 2012026356.
K-Gr 2–If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck…but wait, this white-feathered yellow-billed bird is barking like a dog, slobbering like a dog, chewing up socks like a dog. What gives? That’s what Fox wants to know after he inadvertently grabs a duck out of the henhouse intent on enjoying a chicken dinner. But maybe a duck will do? Clever duck manages to avoid the cookpot by declaring, “You are mistaken, sir. I am NOT a DUCK!” and adopting a variety of classic doggy behaviors such as wagging her tail and peeing on the carpet. Finally, Fox relents and takes the “dog” back to the farm where she belongs, only to find a surprise in the house that blows the lid off the whole ruse. The hilarious illustrations sketched with marker and colored pencil are designed like large comic book panels and have a real slapstick appeal that is perfectly suited to the comedic text. Kids will love being in on the joke, and the large word bubbles make reading easy even for beginners. Don’t be outfoxed. Get quacking and buy this book.–Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library