Farmer duck (Farmer Duck - Martin Waddell)

Member Name: juicy_lucy

Product:	Farmer Duck - Martin Waddell
Date:	05/11/06 (257 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lovely bed time story

Disadvantages: none

Farmer Duck

A favourite book of mine, and one which I have read on many occasions to young children.

Published in 1991,the story focuses on the hero of the story, the duck, and a lazy farmer, and on how the other animals on the farm help duck when he is too tired to keep doing all of the work.

**The story and illustrations**

The story starts by introducing us to a duck who lives with a very lazy farmer, and while the farer stays in bed all day, the duck does all of the work. Indeed, the very first double spread illustration shows a very tired looking duck carrying a tray laden with food to the farmer who is lying in be eating chocolates and reading the newspaper.

The duck looks after the cows, the sheep and the hens, and whatever job the duck does, all the farmer shouts is "How goes the work?" and each time, the duck answers "Quack!". Children very quickly realize that there is repetition going on and whenever the farmer speaks to the duck, they "Quack!" The illustrations show the duck doing various jobs around the farm. The one which evokes the most sympathy for the plight of the duck is the picture where the duck is walking the cow back to the farm. The poor duck is leading the cow and looks really exhausted and there is the farmer, looking out of his bedroom window, and shouting at the duck. We are beginning to get the idea that he is a thoroughly unpleasant man.

The farmer gets fatter and fatter and the duck gets more and more fed up. There are several pages where we see the duck at various tasks, with the only text near each picture being the farmer asking the duck how his work goes and the duck answering in the usual way.

Eventually,the duck gets tired and weeps and the animals all rally round to support him. They hold a meeting with the only sounds being "Moo! Baa! Cluck!" Great way for children to learn or consolidate their knowledge of animal sounds. Anyway, based on these animal sounds, a plan is formulated and before dawn, the animals creep into the farmer's house, and squeeze under his bed. They rock the bed till the farmer falls out of bed. He gets such a shock when he sees all of the animals that he runs away with the animals chasing after him.

When the duck wakes up, he expects the farmer to shout at him, but he hears not a sound until he hears the noises of the other animals. The tell him what has happened and the animals all work together to look after their farm, and the farmer is never seen again.

Good- a happy ending, a real feel good story.

**Other bits of information**

First published 1991,re published 1995.

ISBN 0-7445-366-X

**Books by the same author**

Owl Babies
Let's Go Home Little Bear
Can't You Sleep Little Bear?
Shooting Star
Tom Rabbit
Hi, Harry!

He has written lots more books- check out www.walkerbooks.co.uk for information on the author and some of the books he has written

**What I think of it**

I would recommend this book for younger children, and have read it on many occasions to Little Miss and children up to about 7 years old.

The illustrations perfectly complement the text, and there is just the right amount detail in the pictures to allow them to tell their own story. Once they have heard the story, children are able to "read" this story themselves, using the pictures and the simple text- they almost certainly read the animal sounds every time and this lets them start to understand speech.

The expressions on the animals face also amuse and appeal to children, and the duck always evokes sympathy, and a cheer when he finally gets the better of the lazy farmer. Children don't find it surprising that the animals are walking on two feet or have the ability to storm the house and till the land- they accept it as a norm in life.

Lovely bed time reading where the good guys win the day and friendship ensures that there is no one unhappy or doing more than their fair share of work.



Thanks for reading.

Daniela xx

Summary: Read to young children