Splish, Splash, Ducky

Ducky Duckling loves to quack. On a rainy day, she hops with frog, squirms with wriggly worm, hugs Bug AND Slug, and splishes and splashes with fish, quacking all the while. Yet when the rain stops, she feels sad and seeks reassurance in Dad, who reminds her that they can quack together, whatever the weather.

Lucy Cousins’ bright and vivid animal characters are as loveable as ever for babies and toddlers, with thick, black uneven brush lines that form accessible, dynamic characters. The short and often onomatopoeic rhyme is perfectly aimed at little ones learning first words, who will enjoy repeating "drip drop", "plip plop", and so on. There are also lots of opportunities for adults reading the book to improvise actions – raindrops drip-dropping on the tummy and shaking feathers, for instance.

Finally, of course, the book ends with a reassuring cuddle. Lovely!