Peep and Ducky

Peep and Ducky

by David Martin, David M. Walker (Illustrator)

Lucky, lucky, lucky! Follow two adorable friends at play in a read-aloud for the very young that trips off the tongue.

Ready, set, go! Whether you’re playing pretend games (beep, beep) or flying off the slide (ka-thump), flopping into a puddle (splish, splash) or running around a tree ("Can’t catch me!"), an afternoon at the park is so much better when your best buddy is there. Peep and Ducky share giggles and tickles and bumps in this sweet excursion from David Martin and David Walker.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Childrens, Storytime, Birds, Animals, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 12, 2013

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Readers of David Martin's books won't be surprised when they meet the author and find that he is just as entertaining as his books - he sings, plays the guitar or the kazoo, or even juggles during his school visits. As David Martin says, "I have never minded particularly making a fool of myself," so he is never at a loss to illustrate his points or to make a connection with the kids. In his interactive sessions, he also works with students to create their own books or to produce oversized class books. The author's ease in the classroom comes from his hands-on teaching experience: he's an eighteen-year veteran of elementary and middle schools.


A native of Queens, Martin has lived in northeast Vermont with his family since 1970.

Reviews

[Tracy Schillemore]

I thought this book was kind of stupid. I suppose young kids might find it funny but it is not a book that I would enjoy using for story time.

[Gina]

Positive: Cute illustrations

Negatives:
1) Uses a nonsensical word (diggedy).
2) Peep and ducky go potty together in an odd way.
3) The author attempts to rhyme, but the rhyming is sporadic and awkward.

[Melissa]

Kinda meh. Some of the rhymes were a bit of a stretch. And the bathroom break in the middle of the story was odd and awkward.

[Jordyn Braun]

Booklist
( February 01, 2013; 9780763650391 )
This picture book, starring big yellow Ducky and small bluebird Peep, is tailor-made for toddlers. During a day in the park, the duo does all the things young kids do: play pretend, zip down the slide, and in an adorable moment, go potty side by side. The read-aloud rolls right along with plenty of sound effects: Ducky flies off. / Peep lands ka-thump. / Both go rolling. / Bump, bump, bump! It's a day filled with snacks, spilled drinks, and plenty of giggles and tickles and true to toddler energy, the two keep going . . . and going . . . and going. The text is bouncy, and the mixed-media art, rendered in a cheerful palette, is muted in the background, while the foreground pops with heavily outlined characters. Parents look on from the periphery, but this is mostly a kidcentric outing that emphasizes how friendship can turn an ordinary day extraordinary. Share at preschool storytimes where kids can wiggle along.--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist

I like that this review includes the fact that the story has lots of sound effects in its rhyming scheme and that was something that I also noticed while reading!

[Sondra Eklund]

Very cute. No real substance or logic to the day, though. Seemed like things happened just to rhyme. Not bad, but nothing special.

[Danica Midlil]

trucky? bummy? A little too cutesy wootsy for my taste.
Without those two unfortunate word choices, it was a nice book for toddlers.

[Aneesa]

Do the people rating this one and two stars not have kids?

[Mikayla Maglalang]

Peep and Ducky is a cute picturebook about two duckies who really enjoy spending there tie together. There is a lot of rhyme in this book and it reminds me of the nursery rhymes read in class. The rhyme is fun and makes the reading experience more enjoyable. All throughout the book the two characters adventure on together. As a reader, to me, it seems like they are best friends who truly love spending time with another. They have fun together and they look out for another. They are not just the type of friends who like to hang out but who also care for one another. This book closely related to my theme of sharing love, as the reader can observe the love these two best friends have for one another. Unlike any of the other books I have been reading, this book does outright claim their love for another, but rather they show it through their actions and as we have read in the previous books, love can be shown in many different ways. Similarly, to the book “I love you and Cheese Pizza”, there is a lot of nonsense throughout the book as the two characters are brought to life. They talk to one another and do human-like things, and the author loves to use personification. It ultimately represents this nonsense idea that non human like things can be brought to life in stories.

[Vivian]

It's so nice to find a board book that perfectly fits its target audience. A day spent in the park by these two little friends is shared in four-line verses, one per page. The only improvement I would suggest would have been including a hidden character (such as a squirrel or bug) for little ones to find on each page.

[Kitty]

2yo has been wanting to seriously reread lately so it’s been hard to get him into library books. This one was recommended as a spring read and it’s great. One small rhythmic error but I forgive it since it has a cute realistic plot and rhyming text I can only describe as jaunty. He will be so sad to return it to fulfill another patron’s hold!

[Rose Rosetree]

What a sweet picture book for reading aloud and for playing.

Youngest readers are introduce to friendship, and also (indirectly) to the pleasures of reading.

Words by David Martin and illustrations by David Walker are both delightfully-and-purely simple.

Excellence between covers, definitely deserving FIVE STARS!

[Sam DuBois]

This book would be perfect for very younger children who are just learning how to read. It has very simple words and doesn't use complete sentences. It's overall a very simple book. Plus it is filled with many rhymes so young children can also get a concept of rhyming words.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams]

I love how the Peep and Ducky books have such a strong rhyme scheme. I loved to not say the last word in many of the sentences and have Zander, my little one, fill in the blank. I'd think such a strong rhyme scheme would make the Peep and Ducky books great for beginning readers as well.

[Taryn]

Great rhyming, it makes it a fun book

[Lexi]

I don't know how to tell you this, Mr. Martin, but "bummy" is not a word. Nor should it become one. Ever.

[Rosalind Andrews]

I liked the pictures and story, I did fall asleep towards the end though.

[Victoria Garcia]

Great read for kindergarteners! Two ducks who spend the whole day together having adventures and along the way introducing lots of rhyming and repetition.

[Alicia]

My little adored this one!

[Denise]

I read this three times in a row with a toddler today. 🤣 He loved it and it was so cute!

[Carrie Stader]

Cute small children's book about friendship. Illustrations are perfect!

[curiouskat_books]

Tries hard to be cutesy but comes across as annoying. Don't read to your kid unless you want to seem like you are talking down to them with made up baby talk.

[Corbin Ritchie]

3.5

[Heidi Borland]

This is probably my favorite kids book it’s adorable, engaging and the perfect length for a bedtime story! I wish for 1000 more peep and ducky books

[Beau Manglass]

3.5

[Sarah]

Its cute and funny.

[Margaret Dee]

Arthur favorite Thanksgiving favorite 2016

[Storytime Corner]

“Ducks in The park on a warm, sunny day. Here comes Peep, telling, ‘Ducky? Want to play?’”
❤️ Cute artwork and the writing flies beautifully. The story isn’t really about anything but the pace the writing keeps makes that fine.
💫 The only thing that could have made this better would have been a bit of a story (it would switch it from a four to a five for me. As it is, if I still had very littles in the house, I’d probably buy it. As it is, I might check it out again but I wouldn’t buy it since it isn’t one I’d want to read year after year)
📆 If read this in the summer (even though it looks like a spring book on the cover, it is definitely a warm weather book)

Check out StorytimeCorner.com to see our favorites grouped by time of year/theme we’d recommend reading them.

My Ranking System:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I absolutely love everything about the book and would buy it
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I love the book but there are enough “wishes” that I wouldn’t buy it but I’d definitely check it out again
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’m glad I read it once but it is a one time read and never again
⭐️⭐️ I was bored and wish I had the time back that I spent reading it
⭐️ I really didn’t like it and would advise people NOT to read it

[Alexis Labenz]

Peep and Ducky by David Martin is about two best friends. The book has great rhymes and talks about the adventures of Peep and Ducky, good and bad. This book is very realistic and students will be able to relate to the book easily with their friends. Peep and Ducky do simple things that most kids do- play in the park, splash in puddles, and play games. The book changes the readers emotions once the friends have to say goodbye. I think this is something every child has to go through and they will be excited to be able to relate to this.

An activity I would have my students do is get with a partner and create a handshake with them. A handshake will show the students that it is time to say goodbye. Once they see each other again they can do the handshake too. This is good because students will be excited to do the handshake and they will know that if they have to say goodbye they will eventually say hello again.


Helquist, B. (2013). Grumpy Goat. New York: Harper.

[Barbara]

This story written in rhyming text follows Peep and Ducky, two good friends, as they spend the day having fun together. Even when the have a bumpy landing from the slide, they still manage to make each other smile. They dig, play in mud puddles, eat, drink, fight over a bucket, and have to go to the bathroom. When it's time for them to go, both beg their parents for more time, of course. The simple, sweet story is realistic, capturing a typical day in the lives of these plaful friends. The mixed media illustrations work very well with the text and allow readers to see the hijinks of these two birds.

[Barbara]

This picture book that would make a fine early reader for a 3 or 4 year old who has started to read. If the child is older the subject matter might not be especially appealing. Peep and Ducky meet for a play date in the park and the short, simple rhyming text tells all about the fun they had playing, pretending and digging in the sand. The bold, well outlined pictures would be easy to see during story time. I enjoyed the energy of the rhyming text and I think the children would enjoy filling in the ends of the verses.