Band Together

by Chloe Douglass

Overview

A charming tale about being with friends and making new ones.

Duck is a solo act. He loves the peace and solitude of his beachside home, strumming his ukulele beneath the stars. After helping stranded band players Bear, Fox, and Seagull fix their broken-down tour van, he has tons of fun playing songs and hanging out with his new friends.

Maybe he could ask the Band if they want to play with him again. But why would they want to be friends with Duck?

When Seagull gets sick, it looks like the concert will get canceled. Or will Duck drum up the courage and accept Bear’s invitation to join the Band? Will Duck help his new friends out?

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433834301
Publisher:	American Psychological Association
Publication date:	09/08/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Chloe Douglass works in her home studio to create illustrations, character designs, and story ideas. She graduated from Kingston University with an MA Illustration degree in 2012. She lives in Tooting, London.

Visit chloeillustrates.co.uk

Twitter and Instagram: @ChloeIllustrates

Editorial Reviews

07/27/2020

“Solo act” Duck—a mallard in a maroon hat and scarf—lives a solitary life by the beach, contentedly crooning beneath the moon and avoiding social interactions, which he finds “overwhelming.” When a musical group arrives in a mint-colored van, requesting Duck’s help with a flat tire, the socially anxious bird ends up enjoying the camaraderie and departs feeling optimistic. As daylight fades into the muted, earthy palette, however, Duck’s euphoria transforms into doubt. The worries persist, causing Duck to decline an invite to participate in the band’s upcoming show, until—in a wordless spread that depicts an abrupt switch from concern to determination—he bounds onstage to join his new friends. The tale’s ending undercuts the joys of Duck’s solitary existence and leaves readers guessing about the strategies he uses to overcome his fears, but there’s much to appreciate about the cozy, domestically focused art and the way Douglass destigmatizes social anxiety. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

2020-06-30
A loner duck comes into his own.

Duck, a waddling mallard with a hipster hat-and-scarf combo, lives by himself in a tiny shack by the sea. He likes to comb the beach, drink tea, and play the ukulele. He is a self-proclaimed “solo act.” In fact, so much so, that he finds “making friends a little bit overwhelming.” But when a band’s van breaks down at the beach and they ask Duck to “lend a wing,” he can’t say no. Soon he finds himself in the company of friends. They invite him to their concert the next day. Duck wants to go but later finds himself wondering, “Why would Fox, Bear, and Seagull want to be friends with a duck like him?” That negative self-talk is enough to make him stay home after a longing look at the trio jamming around a campfire. But when Seagull falls ill and Bear asks Duck to stand in at the concert, Duck must make a decision. Full of doubt, Duck hesitates but then has a triumphant moment of determination (you can see it in his eyebrows) and takes a chance. Douglass’ muted illustrations are delicate, matching Duck’s sensibilities, but they also have spots of humor. A “Bearwie” (Bowie, but a bear, a conceit that deliriously informs the brilliant band puns on the endpapers) poster hangs in Duck’s home, and the unbridled enthusiasm of a cast of crabs who desperately want to befriend Duck is giggleworthy.

Both vulnerability and self-confidence shine. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews