First Snow of Winter Book

Sean the duck is growing up on the west coast of Ireland and spends the whole summer getting into scrapes, much to the exasperation of his mother. But now winter is approaching and the ducks must fly south to avoid the cold and snow of the winter. Sean, being Sean, doesn't listen to his mother and flies off to annoy the gulls. After a near miss with an aeroplane, the little duck can no longer fly. Poor Sean is stranded, lost and alone and facing a winter for which he is not prepared. Fortunately, larger-than-life Voley is on hand to help the situation--he helps Sean find shelter, warmth and food; he even invites Sean to a hooley--the illustration of the sheep "dancing" is impossible to look at without laughing out loud. But then Voley has to leave to hibernate, again leaving Sean to face the winter alone. With humour and "ahh" factor by the bucket load this is a picture book not to be missed. Sean the duck is the archetypal naughty child who gets his comeuppance in a big way, yet also comes into his own when faced with severe adversity. His resourcefulness and tenacity in surviving in the most difficult of situations would create a lump in the throat of most readers, yet the mood is considerably lightened by the humour of the delightful illustrations. Action, adventure, humour, friendship and survival--what more could you ask for in a picture book which is destined to become a classic? (Ages 4 to 8)Read More