Module 6: Duck for President

Duck for President

by Doreen Cronin 

Illustrated by Betsy Lewin

Cronin, L. & Lewin, B. (illustrator). (2004). Duck for president.  New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Does Duck have what it takes?

Summary:

Duck tires of working on the farm and decides to overthrow the farmer through the democratic process.  After being elected to run the farm himself, Duck quickly tires of that and moves on to bigger and better things.  Duck decides to run for and becomes governor.  After becoming disenchanted with that, he moves on to the presidential campaign.  Will Duck become president?  Or, will he head back to the farm?

Impressions:

I liked this book because of its humor and simple prose.  The watercolor illustrations complement the tale appropriately.  It makes for a terrific read aloud during election time.  Parents will enjoy the commentary about candidates and our political system; children will enjoy Duck.  He's charming and represents the average "Joe."  The farm setting is engaging for young readers, who will glean some insight about the election process.  

Reviews:

From School Library Journal:

PreS-Gr 2-This award-winning team returns with a third story of farm animals with ambition. Duck is tired of doing his chores (mowing the lawn and grinding the coffee beans), and decides to hold an election to replace Farmer Brown. When he wins, Duck quickly realizes that running a farm requires too much hard work, and sets out to run for governor. With the help of the hens, and speeches "that only other ducks can understand," he eventually ends up running the country. Executive office gives him a headache, however, so Duck returns to the farm to work on his autobiography-on a computer, with the typewriter from Click, Clack, Moo (S & S, 2000) in the wastepaper bin next to him. Lewin's characteristic humorous watercolors with bold black outlines fill the pages with color and jokes. Cronin's text is hilarious for kids and adults and includes a little math and quite a bit about the electoral process. The animals, who have no verbal language that humans can understand, are empowered by the use of the written word, and the subliminal message comes through loud and clear-one can almost hear youngsters thinking, "Watch out grown-ups! Just wait till I learn to read."-Jane Barrer, Washington Square Village Creative Steps, New York City Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Citation: Barrer, J., Jones, T.E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Larkins, J. (2004). Duck for president (Book). School Library Journal, 50(3), 155-156. 

From Kirkus Reviews:

Kirkus Reviews starred (January 1, 2004)

Just in time for an election year, the feathered troublemaker of Click, Clack, Moo (2000) and Giggle, Giggle, Quack (2002) enters the political arena, with sidesplitting results. Weary of chores, Duck organizes a farmyard election and ousts Farmer Brown-only to discover that running a farm is harder than it looks. So Duck moves on, campaigning first for Governor, than President, and winning each time by, well, a nose. Lewin follows Cronin's lead in losing no opportunity to lampoon recognizable political figures. Seeing Duck flash a two-fisted "V For Victory" sign, edge out a decidedly Hillary-esque gubernatorial incumbent, play saxophone on late-night TV, and lean wearily on the presidential desk may amuse grownups more than children-but the comedy flows freely on more levels than one, and there's sufficient hilarity for all. Seeing the error of his ways, Duck finally returns to the farm, and is last seen working not on chores, but, graduating from typewriter to computer, his memoirs. All things considered, he has plenty to write about. (Picture book. 6-8)

Citation: Duck for president (Book). (2004). Kirkus Reviews, 72(1), 35. 

Library Activity:

Although targeted for a presidential election year, Duck for President is a great lead-in for a discussion on reliable sources during an election month when candidate news abounds.  After reading it aloud, discuss what makes a Web site reputable.  Visit various sites such as whitehouse.gov, wikipedia, and news media sites.  Discuss what qualities to look for in sources used for reports and how to recognize biases.