Its Christmas Eve, and Farmer Brown (Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, rev. 3/00) is putting the final touches on his holiday decorations. When he hears a pitter-patter on the roof, he runs off to bed, believing Santa has arrived. But the pitter-patter isnt Santa: Duck is attempting his own Santa-like entry. When Duck gets stuck in the chimney, the sheep, cows, pigs, and rest of the farm animals arrive to lend a hoof, paw, or webbed foot. Lewins watercolor illustrations, with their slapstick situations and expressive animal body language, work beautifully with Cronins humorous (Ho! Ho! Uh-oh) text: a smattering of expertly placed wordless spreads allows Ducks stealth antics to do the talking. sin gaetano (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

If the sight of Duck-outfitted with night-vision goggles, climbing spurs, and a Santa hat-ziplining across a cold winter's night toward Farmer Brown's chimney doesn't provoke laughs and smiles, then the War on Christmas is as good as over. Cronin never exactly discloses what Duck is up to, but it soon becomes moot: he gets stuck in the chimney, and the other animals follow suit as they attempt to "unstuck Duck." It's up to the real Santa to set things right. Echoes of Moore's "Visit from St. Nicholas" can be sensed throughout ("A few creatures are stirring" as the book opens, and Farmer Brown rushes to the window as he senses Santa's approach), but Cronin and Lewin make this slapstick story all their own, leaving readers (and the farm's human and animal residents) with a big dose of holiday cheer. Ages 4-8. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr 1-It's Christmas Eve down on the farm, and everything seems perfect. Snow falls, lights twinkle, and festive music plays. Farmer Brown is just setting out the milk and cookies when he hears a noise outside-but it isn't Santa's arrival. It's Duck, dressed in night-vision goggles and sporting a backpack and climbing spurs. Duck scales the barn, zip lines toward the chimney, and attempts to squeeze down it Santa-style. But he gets stuck. The other farm animals try to help, but the sheep, the cows, the pigs, the goats, the chickens, the mice, a dog, and a cat all become stuck in Farmer Brown's chimney. When Santa finally appears, he unclogs everyone, and all the animals land in a sooty heap on the living room floor. They add the final ornaments to the tree and celebrate the holiday together. Doreen Cronin's spare text is complemented by Betsy Lewin's loose watercolor illustrations. The seasonal bright reds and greens stand out against the inky blue nighttime sky and the snowy white fields. Narrator Maurice England's deep drawl is accompanied by tinkling bells and instrumental background music. VERDICT Duck's fans will laugh out loud at his latest schemes as the whole farm celebrates the Christmas holiday together. A winner for the youngest viewers.-Anne Bozievich, Friendship Elementary School, Glen Rock, PA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

On a snowy Christmas Eve, Farmer Brown is hanging his stockings with care when a pitter-patter on the roof sends him scooting off to bed. Surely it's Santa! Nope. It's only Duck, who has climbed onto the chimney to await the big man's arrival. Ho! Ho! Uh-oh. Duck catches sight of the sleigh in the distance and topples into the chimney, getting unequivocally stuck. Next up on the roof are the sheep, who try to unstuck Duck, only to tumble in themselves. The sheep are followed by the cows, the pigs, and the remaining barnyard animals, who all become helplessly wedged until Santa arrives to lend a hand. In a poof of soot, everyone lands in the warm glow of Farmer Brown's living room and celebrates with festive cheer. The spare, repetitive text gets an extra boost of silliness in Lewin's watercolor illustrations, which show the animals dangling from a rooftop zip line and packed tightly in the chimney. Another giggle-inducing story from Cronin and Lewin.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2015 Booklist