Simple, funny action words and onomatopoeia describe three silly ducks' rather impolite visit to their Auntie Goose's house. This rollicking, tongue-twisting, rhyming story of three enthusiastic houseguests, paired with the lively artwork of illustrator Viviana Garofoli, is sure to be a speedy favorite of beginning readers everywhere. Step 1 (Ready to Read) is for children who know the alphabet and are ready to read. Step 1 titles have big type and easy words, rhyme and rhythm, and picture clues. PreS-Gr 1-This level-one reader uses rhyming words to enhance phonemic awareness. It does so with a simple story about all the things that ducks can do ("Ducks slurp/Ducks burp"). The spare text allows for little narration, but picture clues divulge that a duck family is off to visit a loving goose relative, and the day includes activities familiar to young children. The animals embrace, eat lunch, and spend a messy afternoon baking, followed by cleanup and a fond farewell. Concentrated colored backgrounds add to the visual appeal of the pages, which have either black or white text and bright cartoon illustrations. The fact that the ducks use a remote control to operate their TV and talk on a cell phone adds a contemporary touch to this otherwise timeless story. A solid choice for libraries needing entry-level readers.-Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. With large type and bright pictures that reinforce the story, this easy reader follows a family of ducks who vroom to a relative’s house. The sounds of the words are a big part of the fun (Ducks slurp. / Ducks burp!), and so is the messy slapstick action as the ducks ring the bell (Ding-dong! / Bing-bong!); bake delicious treats (Grab and eat, / hot and sweet); make a total mess; and, finally, scrub and sweep before sleep. The repetition never becomes overbearing; in fact, the recurring physical details of cooking, eating, and clearing up are right on target for first readers. With a rhythmic beat and noisy, playful words that sound like what they mean, this Step into Reading title could be a cheerful, energetic read-aloud for young preschoolers, as well as readers on the verge of independence. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Hazel Rochman Selected as one of the 20 Best Children's Books of 2011 by Parents Magazine. -- Parents Magazine, December 2011 JANE KOHUTH lives in Massachussetts and is a former children's bookseller at independent bookstores Wellesley Books and Eight Cousins. She holds a degree in English and Creative Writing from Brandeis University. She is also the author of Estie the Mensch and the upcoming picture book Duck Sock Hop . VIVIANA GAROFOLI is the illustrator of Ma! There's Nothing to Do Here! by Barbara Park. She lives in Buenos Aires.