Duck's Loud Quack: The Baby in the Bulrushes

Duck is, well...a loud mouth. And he's always getting into trouble for sticking his beak where it doesn't belong. But in Duck's Loud Quack, one day when he splashes into the water and pushes his long beak through the reeds, discovering a baby in a basket. Duck feels sad. "Where was its mum?" When Duck hears footsteps, he can't help himself: "Quack! Quack! Quack!" he cries. A princess walks up and sees the baby, loving him right away. "Thank you, Duck," she says. "The princess took the baby home to her palace. Duck waddled behind...Perhaps there was room for him, too!" The baby, the author Tim Dowley concludes, was baby Moses, who became a prince in Egypt. "You can read more about Moses in your Bible in Exodus 2:1-10." Throughout, Steve Smallman's illustrations are fun, expression-filled, and perfect for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. What I Like: This is such a simple and effective story for young children. Not only do we get a glimpse of the biblical story of baby Moses, but we learn that God can use even a nosy duck to set his plans into motion. What I Dislike: Nothing, but some parents may object to the fictional elements in this story. Kristina Seleshanko, Managing Editor Christian Children's Book Review

This charming little board book retells Christ's parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke 15:11-31 from the perspective of the Samaritan's donkey, who was also along for the ride! The book places an emphasis on the emotions of the donkey, which mirror the types of feelings young children go through on a daily basis: grumpy, hot, tired and perhaps not in the mood to help out! Donkey and his rider take time out of their day to help a man in need, reinforcing the concept that we should take time to be of service to anyone we encounter along our path that might need a helping hand. The book contains a reference to the passage in Luke where this story is told, to encourage parent and child to explore the Bible together.