Duck! Rabbit!

By Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld

Is it a duck or a rabbit? It all depends on how you look at it! “How cute is this? Really, really cute.” —Booklist (starred review)
 
From the award-winning author of Little Pea, Little Hoot, and Little Oink comes a clever take on the age-old optical illusion: is it a duck or a rabbit? Readers will find more than just Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s signature humor here—there’s also a subtle lesson for kids who don't know when to let go of an argument. A smart, simple story that will make readers of all ages eager to take a side, Duck! Rabbit! makes it easy to agree on one thing—reading it again!
 
“[A] fun, interactive read-aloud. The bold lines and bright colors in Lichtenheld’s illustrations are a visually pleasing match for the bantering text. With a strong, well-executed concept, this book provides an excellent starting point for discussing how points of view can differ and still be right.” —School Library Journal

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Apr 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781452103815

Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Amy Krouse Rosenthal is the author of many books, including Little Pea and Duck! Rabbit!. She lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Book preview

Reviews for Duck! Rabbit!

[Hong Tran · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very entertaining with lots of convincing with two sides of the story

[cubsfan3410 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very cute, visual book

[harrisrm · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Adorable book about a rabbit/duck illusion children have to switch between seeing a rabbit and a duck. The illustrator did an extremely cleaver job with the illusions. Children stay engage with with the pictures and enjoy how a rabbit and a duck can look the same, but can be perceived in so many different ways. This book is wonderful for younger ages.

[nhassa3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Duck! Rabbit!" was about an animal that two people could not decide if it was a duck or a rabbit. One person said it was a duck and the other a rabbit. It was funny to see how they argued and tried to prove their point to the other. The main message was how two people may never see eye to eye. It is important for students to see that not everyone is going to agree on everything, but it is still important to be respectful. Also, it is important to see that everyone has opinions and you are going to have to leave to "agree to disagree" I recommend this to everyone in about 2nd grade because of the importance of this main message. I enjoyed this book because of the main message and because it is very funny. It was also unique and original.

[aridy_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good book for children to learn to look at things from different views. Is it a duck or is it a rabbit? It also helps kids to learn when to give up on an argument cause both might be right.

[roseannes_9 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I like the way that the pictures stay the same and the words change for it like my favorite comic, Dinosaur Comics. Also that it's one of those pictures that can look like two different things depending on which way you look at it. I think that this theme of "it depends on how you look at it" is an important theme for kids to learn. I think that in that way it's appropriate for any classroom unit or just reading time in general. I could see an extension of showing maybe other optical illusions or pictures that could be two different things. Maybe it could tie in with words that mean two different things.

[madamepince · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Pretty good read aloud for lower elementary. Simple text that reads like "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus."

[heidijones · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a clever book that explores the age old question- is it a duck, or is it a rabbit?! I love that children can see both sides of the "argument", and it teaches them to try to appreciate others' perspectives. The story helps to explore the idea that we do not need to argue, it can be either! It also teaches the lesson that there can often be more than one "right answer". The illustrations are simple, yet well done.

[mkm_11 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Genre: FantasyGenre Critique: This book is an example of a fantasy story because of the author's ability to portray the unbelievable (indistinct picture) into the believable (a duck... or is it a rabbit?) just through the use of the words in the story. The pieces to the story all hold together based on what the author has written, and it seems believable that the picture being seen is either a duck or a rabbit.Review/Critique: This book was a really fun read, and a great picture puzzle for the mind. All throughout reading it I could see the distinction of either a duck or a rabbit, but mainly saw it as a duck. The second time through reading though, I could mainly see it as a rabbit. It was a fun little puzzle that would be great for kids to look at and experience as well.Media: Ink, water color, and a little bit of colored pencil

[kayceel_4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A cute book - two unidentified persons argue over whether the animal we're looking at is a duck or a rabbit. The both offer several supporting arguments, until the animal runs away, at which point they each concede that *maybe* the other was right.This would be a lot of fun for kids to read aloud, and would be a great starting point for discussing differences, optical illusions, the idea that there's more than one way to see a thing...Recommended.

[lilred18 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book illustrating to children that there are always at least two ways of looking at things.

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cute, funny book with entertaining visual play.

[mahallett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

really cute. could be read in 2 parts. show kid the picture ask what it is. then kid reads that part and adult takes the other part.

[scote23 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

#3 on the Barnes and Noble Top Ten Children's Books of 2009

I have always been fascinated by images that look like two things at once, which is why I think I like this book so much. Is it a duck? Is it a rabbit? I'm pretty sure it's just awesome.

[rosie.riveter · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story is awesome to read aloud to a class. The dialogue is very short, and the content is very funny! The artwork is simple, but perfect. Is it a duck? or a rabbit? It doesn't matter because the concept behind the book is to see things from other perspectives, and that EVERYONE has their own!

[azlanshae · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have read this book with my students many times. Throughout the story a child could see the illustration as a duck and/or a rabbit. It's a book about interpretation and perspective because both animals can be seen and both ideas are supported through the text and illustrations.

[shomskie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very unique book that presents the reader with what appears to be a simple question: is the animal a duck or a rabbit? As we watch the unseen characters debate over this, the reader is allowed to come to their own conclusion. Deffinately a fun book that could be used in a classroom setting to encourage friendly debating among students to if the animal truly is a rabbit or duck.

[conuly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

We don't see the narrators of the book. All we see of them is their conversation as they debate the exact taxonomy of the strange creature pictured on the cover. Is it a duck getting a drink of water? Or a rabbit cooling his ears? Maybe the duck wading in the swamp - or is that a rabbit hopping through the grass?The language is very simple, which makes it ideal both for reading to a small child or for an early reader to read to you. My niece was able to read it prior to starting the first grade, for example. I recommend this for any first grade or kindergarten classroom... however, for home use, I find there's just not enough to it to justify getting it. It's a cute book, but my nieces and I don't have much use for it most of the time. In a classroom setting, you have plenty of children and it's more interesting than many other books at that level, but at home... meh. Take it out from the library once in a while.

[meganluke_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The simple illustrations allow the reader to form their own opinions about whether the animal is a duck or a rabbit. My four-year olds love reading this book and it is one that they will pick out and read on their own.

[anniecase_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting, engaging book that will get kids thinking about things they see and how to change perspective.

[chelsearose_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is very clever and will no doubt arouse the reader's opinion in which animal the shape represents. I like how it invites readers to see things differently.

[woolgathering · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I guess I'm the only person on Goodreads who doesn't care whether it's a duck or a rabbit.

[nieva21 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

 Not only is this book comical, but it helps us learn that we can have a difference of opinion and not necessarily be angry about it. Arguing doesn't have to be a knock down drag out debate, and that's what this book proves in a fun and endearing way.

[edenjean_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Children of all ages with enjoy expressing their interpretations of this cleverly illustrated picture book. Each page has nearly the same image of a white animal, which can be seen as either a duck with a very long bill or a rabbit with white ears. A debate between unseen observers provides the context for a discussion of whether the animal they see is a rabbit or a duck. Although the illustrations seem repetitive at first glance, each new page provides an opportunity to view the book from a different standpoint. This practice encourages multiple readings, with many different interpretations requiring abstract thought as well as mental flexibility from the reader. Duck! Rabbit! shows readers how two entirely different views can both be correct.

[meditationesmartini · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Maybe I'm a cynic, but it's a bit "thin gruel" to make a whole book out of this frivolous trick?

[miriahharrison · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

 A duck, A rabbit, two people ague what it is. It looks like both, depending on what way you see it. It is a super cute book.

[kimjd_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The heavy line drawings are reminiscent of Eric Rohmann, but the book has a humor all its own. The dialog between two unseen characters arguing over whether the object they're looking at is a duck or a rabbit is entertaining in its own right, amd also makes a great jumping off point for conversations about other pictures that can portray two different scenes, depending on how the viewer approaches them.

[raizel_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Is it a duck? Is it a rabbit? Just when you decide it looks like one of them, you see the other. Actually not sure that anything important is added to what you already see on the cover, but it's nonetheless nifty and short enough to sustain the niftiness.As the reviews and tags of others show, the book suggests that there is more than one right point of view. Although, the identification of the creature matters to the creature; there is, in fact, only one right answer, we just don't have enough information to know what it is. Perhaps the story should teach us humility. And since this is a children's book and not real life, no one decides to shoot the animal so they can determine what it was or each other because each one already absolutely knows the truth.

[jkessluk · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found myself debating on almost every single picture if what i was looking at was a duck and a rabbit. I think it always ended in duck though... Maybe because i graduated from the University of Oregon? I am curious as who these two mysterious voices in the background are.

[anboggs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Duck! Rabbit! introduces children to a very basic optical illusion--is the picture that's been drawn a duck or a rabbit? Besides showing how different drawings can be interpreted, Rosenthal is giving readers an important lesson about perspective. She uses simple words to convey they idea that seeing something a different way doesn't mean you're seeing it wrong...it's just different. Tom Lichtenheld's illustrations are very simple, with the duck/rabbit being drawn with very thick, bold lines against a simple, plain background. The best part of the book occurs on the last page, where the reader is shown another drawing. But is it an anteater or a brachiosaurus?