Duck is at it again with his wild ideas! Since he was able to ride a bike (Duck on a Bike, 2002), why not try a tractor? Once he gets it running, duck invites the farm animals to hop on for a ride. While getting aboard, the animals each exclaim one thing, but think another. Woof!' said Dog. But what he thought was, We're going for a ride!' The animals catch the attention of the townsfolk as Duck drives the tractor past the diner, where, like the animals, each person exclaims one thing but thinks another. When Farmer O'Dell realizes that the animals are on his tractor, it's a mad dash for the animals back to the farm while the townsfolk wonder if what they saw was just an optical illusion. Shannon's engaging text, lightly sprinkled with onomatopoeia, offers comical insight into the difference between thoughts and words, and his brightly colored paintings fill the pages with hilarious, over-the-top facial expressions. A great read aloud one-on-one or for story time.--Lock, Anita Copyright 2016 Booklist

The last page of Duck on a Bike (rev. 3/02) showed our farm-dwelling protagonist contemplating a tractor, and this book picks up right where Bike left off. Duck hops on that tractor and never looks back, stopping only -- and sometimes not even stopping -- to pick up his barnyard buddies: buoyant Dog, eager Mouse, cautious Sheep, graceful Cat, Pig and Pig, etc. They make their way downtown, cruising past the diner and giving the startled onlookers an eyeful. Farmer O'Dell: "That's a dang nice tractorHey, that's my tractor!" Everyone races outside, only to find that the animals have skedaddled. "Nah!It couldn't have been!" "It was an optical illusion!" (Observant viewers will connect the dots between the boy holding the camera and the book's blurry last page.) Shannon's easygoing text tells us both what the characters are saying ("M-o-o-o!") and what they're thinking ("But what she thought was, This is the silliest thing I've ever done!'"). The illustrations, too, humorously blend farmyard realism with judicious anthropomorphism with artistic impressionism. There's real beauty -- that painterly sky! the textured brushstrokes! those Monet clouds! -- in the scene with Sheep soaring high overhead. elissa gershowitz (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The star of 2002's Duck on a Bike decides that the tractor is next on his transportation bucket list, and he invites all of his barnyard friends to join his joyride. When the motorized pile-on reaches the local diner, the humans lunching there are flabbergasted. The exuberant physicality of Shannon's characterizations is always a treat, but he's not entirely successful in surmounting the challenges of his premise. He uses some imaginative framings to bring the animals onto the tractor (Goat climbs up one of the giant tires, Horse sprawls across the hood), but the compositions end up unfocused. He also brings back the refrain-like motif from Duck on a Bike, in which his characters say one thing and think another. But that same motif is given to all the awestruck humans as well, causing the story to drag a bit (although the guy who says, "I must be seeing things," while thinking "Oh, no-not again!" must have quite the backstory). The funny ending, involving an empty gas tank, leaves the humans concluding that the vision was all an illusion. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr 3-In 2002, Duck tried out a bicycle in Duck on a Bike, but author David Shannon left his audience on tenterhooks. What's the next vehicle Duck will try? Here's the answer: Duck drives the farm tractor, taking the other barnyard animals on a joyride through town. Shannon's newest Duck tale follows the same pattern as the first, comparing what is said ("Woof!") with each animal's accompanying thoughts, which adds to the humor. Shannon's illustrations are animated and lively. This production provides the story in Spanish and English, with read-along options available in both languages. Walter Mayes narrates the English version, effectively bringing to life each animal. Jorge Reyes is a sheer delight as he narrates the Spanish version with great enthusiasm and barely contained glee. Music and sound effects round out the production, and there's even an original song. VERDICT Viewers will enjoy this zany rollick through absurdity and wonder what Duck will be up to next.-Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.