From different directions, a young duck and a little goose march across a grassy field toward a big spotted sphere. Upon quick inspection, they decide it is an egg, although shrewd readers may point out that it closely resembles a soccer ball. "I saw it first," says the yellow duck. "I touched it first," taunts the white-feathered goose, placing his black foot against it. In separate thought bubbles, each imagines building a fence around the presumed egg, Duck posting a "no honking" sign, Goose with an "absolutely no quacking" placard. "After a flurry of fussing,/ grunting and groaning,/ slipping and sliding," they climb atop their claim and huffily sit back to back. But as time passes, they begin planning their hatchling's future and referring to it as "our baby," at least until a bluebird comes by to ask if she can play with their ball too (then exits to let them resolve their differences). Hills (My Fuzzy Friends) pictures the cartoonish characters against a sky blue and summer green landscape that provides a theatrical backdrop to the argument. This mini-drama implies that a plaything can be more fun for two and shows how even stubborn characters can cooperate. Hills's feathered heroes enact a dialogue familiar to anyone who has negotiated with siblings or playground rivals. Ages 3-7. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

PreS-Gr. 2. A poultry odd couple stars in this story about a friendship forged through a finders keepers dispute. Duck and Goose simultaneously discover a giant polka-dotted sphere, which they take to be a very large egg: I saw it first, says Duck; I touched it first, says Goose. They spend hours sharing space on the egg's summit to keep it warm, first grudgingly, then companionably as they bond over their shared purpose. When a passerby points out that their prized egg is actually a child's toy ball, Duck and Goose decide the ball is lovely, too--just right for playing with together. Hills might have found ways to introduce more variety into his compositions, even given the somewhat limited situation, but the fresh, vivid colors draw the eye, and his whimsically rendered Duck and Goose (think bath toys with expressive eyebrows) will instantly endear themselves to children. Choose this for springtime and Easter story hours, paired with Dr. Seuss' classic Horton Hatches the Egg (1940) and Mem Fox's Hunwick's Egg (2005) . --Jennifer Mattson Copyright 2006 Booklist

When Duck and Goose enter the stage from opposite sides of the frontispiece, striding determinedly across a meadow toward a large, polka-dotted ball, the stage is set for a classic noodlehead story. Each believes the ball to be an egg. Each claims it, competes to hatch it and ends up sitting atop it together, whiling away long hours by agreeing on the many duck and goose skills they will teach their baby. When an observant bird points out that their egg is a ball, Duck and Goose, realizing their mistake, are just as happy to play with it. Delighted listeners will immediately see Duck and Goose's mistake and wait expectantly for the predictable "big reveal." Every artistic decision underscores the humor with deft mastery: the cheerful primary palette; the artfully balanced composition; and the simplicity of line that depicts every inch of these ridiculously earnest fowls, from the tips of their beaks to their expressive eyes to the bottoms of their feet. Duck and Goose's gradual shift from adversaries to partners to playmates is indicated artfully by effective but subtle changes in book design and text. Readers will likely hope to see more of this adorable odd couple. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

(Preschool, Primary) From opposite directions, a duck and a goose converge on an object sitting in a field; small and round, it is adorned with red, yellow, and orange spots. Duck and Goose each immediately lay claim to the beautiful object, which they decide is an egg. As the book progresses, they negotiate, making their way from the initial argument over ownership to shared dreams of the future: ""Let's teach our baby to fly."" Then, the moment we've all been waiting for -- a bump and a small voice saying, ""Excuse me."" But the book confounds expectations, for these aren't the signs of imminent hatching but rather a little bird informing the two what has been clear to the reader all along: the ""egg"" is a ball. Exit the responsibilities of parenthood; enter play! Though the story's theme is undeniably adult, Hills's cartoony illustrations are aimed directly at child viewers (see particularly Duck and Goose's facial expressions) and extract every drop of humor from the situation. The adversarial-to-conspiratorial story is satisfying, the resolution is audience-pleasing, and the wrap-up is both clever and unifying: ""Goose quacked and Duck honked, and the ball bounced, rolled, and sometimes"" -- after a particularly hard kick -- ""even flew."" (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr 1-In this goofy story, a duck and goose mistake a big spotted ball for an egg. Each one claims it and they fight over taking care of it. In the end, they realize their foolishness and become friends, enjoying their ball together. The themes of getting along, sharing, and settling one's differences come across loud and clear, and the author does a good job with the subject without becoming too didactic. While the narrative is fairly straightforward and has touches of childlike humor throughout, it's the bright and colorful artwork that will attract youngsters' attention. The cartoon-style oil paintings set against soft-focus, almost impressionistic backgrounds keep Duck and Goose center stage, and their expressions are priceless. A sweet addition.-Lisa S. Schindler, Bethpage Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.