Title: The Wolf, The Duck & The Mouse
Author: Mac Barnett
Illustrator: Jon Klassen
Publisher: Walker Books
Genre: Children’s picture book
Book format: Hardback
Sweet Strawberries: 
Description: Early one morning, a mouse is gobbled up by a wolf. “Oh Woe!” he cries. “Oh me!” He fears it is the end…until, that is, he meets a duck in the belly of the beast.
*Free copy provided by publisher for review…
Review: I love this story! It’s funny, a bit silly and ended in a way I didn’t expect. ‘The Wolf, The Duck & The Mouse’ is a lovely hardback book around A4 in size and filled with thick matt pages. The book has an additional sleeve making it feel more special. The story is funny, one day a mouse meets a wolf and gets gobbled up. He thinks he is doomed now that he’s inside the belly of the wolf…until he meets a duck who’s already there.
The story is a bit silly but one I really enjoyed. While inside the wolf, the mouse learns that the duck is already living there quite happily. I don’t want to reveal more of the plot as it really would spoil it and the story is a bit short but it’s very funny and put a smile on my face when I read it. The ending is a good one and it’s funny but it wasn’t what I expected when I first started reading this book. I really love the ending twist though and it kind of explains the reason behind a typical wolf trait (at least it gives a humorous reason).
The pictures are what really makes this tale a funny one. I love Klassen’s style of illustrations and there’s just something about the way all the characters look, the way they stare and those eyes, it just makes me laugh every time I see these illustrations. The pictures are all monochrome with just a few pieces of colour here and there but the images are all so clear and easy to see and I think kids and adults will both enjoy this style of illustration.
I really do love this book, the story is so simple, children will find it easy to understand and I think it’s a book that both kids and adults would enjoy taking a look at. Unlike a previous book I read by Barnett and Klassen called ‘Triangle’ which had a bit of a strange ending, this book’s clever twist is one which makes the whole story more enjoyable and one I’d really recommend.
-Review first appeared online November 2017 – now republished here.
What do you think of this book? Do you or your children enjoy funny or silly stories in picture books? Let me know what you think in the comments below 🙂
The Strawberry Post 