Thump, Quack, Moo

Cronin, Doreen. 2008. Thump, quack, moo: A whacky adventure. Ill. by Betsey Lewin. New York: Atheneum.

I am a big fan of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type, Duck for President, and Dooby Dooby Moo, but this latest collaboration by Cronin and Lewin is missing the same cleverness as the other titles. Duck is, of course, cooking up a scheme and at odds with Farmer Brown, but his work in altering the farmer's corn maze is done clandestinely. The humorous back-and-forth between Duck, Farmer Brown, and the other animals is missing. They are working at cross-purposes towards a humorous and clever ending, but the witty interactions are absent.

Of course, fans will love Thump, Quack, Moo anyway, but this is not Cronin's best... And be careful with the fold-out ending! It's not easily managed by big or little hands - my copy tore on the first attempt to open it!