A Highly Illustrated Adventure Full Of Secrets
The Sheep, the Rooster and the Duck by Matt Phelan; Greenwillow Books, 240 pages Ages 8 to 12.
Description
Wherever there is injustice, nefarious plots, or threats to society, the Sheep, the Rooster, and the Duck are there to stop them!
A sly villain with a plan to cause havoc across the globe is no match for three extraordinary animals—and their two young human friends. From acclaimed author and artist Matt Phelan, The Sheep, the Rooster, and the Duck is a hilarious, action-packed, and highly illustrated middle grade adventure perfect for fans of Skunk and Badger and Flora & Ulysses.
The very first passengers to ride in a hot-air balloon were a sheep, a rooster, and a duck in 1783. And while hot-air balloons are indeed wondrous, ten-year-old Emile is too busy being the fastidious caretaker of ambassador Benjamin Franklin’s château in Paris to think much about them.
But soon, young Emile finds himself right in the middle of a sinister plot. And right in the middle of the secret headquarters for France’s undercover guardians—the very same sheep, rooster, and duck that piloted the first hot-air balloon. If Emile can muster his courage and be bold, he may be the key to helping the heroes save both Benjamin Franklin and the world.
Award-winning author Matt Phelan’s The Sheep, the Rooster, and the Duck is a highly illustrated adventure full of secrets, hijinks, and reimagined historical events. This rip-roaring and surprising story is ideal for reluctant readers, aspiring heroes, and fans of Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot.
- Rating: ☆☆☆☆
- Release Date: March 8, 2022
- Excerpt
What People Are Saying
“Farm animals and French children unite to save the fledgling United States from a scheming mastermind in this airy 18th-century adventure. . . . In a mix of prose and profuse graphite drawings that break into mostly wordless sequential panels for action scenes, Phelan lays out a rousing series of chases, clashes, ambushes, and rescues both on and above the ground on the way to a triumphant outcome. . . . A grand, giddy, and, at times, literally soaring tale.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) –
“Ten-year-old Emile lives a staid but satisfying life as a house servant in eighteenth-century France . . . and when Emile catches a mouse seemingly spying on his employer (clutching a tiny notebook and pencil in his paws), the boy follows the rodent to the secret lair of France’s most revered undercover guardians. . . . Incredibly creative and equally silly, mixing historical figures and locations with offbeat humor and adventure. There are outrageous inventions, whimsical secret societies, and dastardly villains . . . A little bit of history, a touch of mystery, and heaps of fun.”
– Booklist (starred review) –
Okay, friends, I did it again. I chose a book to read by the cover, and for no other reason. How can you ignore one so inviting? And I do love a good middle-grade story. So, yep, another review choice without reading the synopsis.
As I began this story, I could see that it was going to be filled with historical facts wrapped around some fun characters. As you might guess, the animals on the cover, sheep, rooster, and duck are a unique super-hero team. And each has special gifts, the sheep is an artist, the rooster, is a wild sword-wielding fowl, and the duck? Well, someone has to stop quacking jokes and be in charge of the plans and strategy. (Couldn’t help it. The fun cover made me do it.)
The historical references and names teach, while our team of characters plus a few others, weave through the story causing the learning to be woven neatly into an outlandishly fun adventure.
While not all of the graphics were included in the ARC that I reviewed, I can imagine that they break up the prose beautifully, allowing a break for reluctant readers. Plus, ahem, older readers who love graphic novels.
My Concerns
When I started reading I wondered if it didn’t feel too mature, not in content but wording. But kids are far more advanced than in the past, so probably this isn’t much of a concern.
Final Thoughts
Now, what child, or for that matter adult, can pass up a book with this cover? And then when it contains a wild ride with animals and historic figures, I say it’s an easy thumbs up.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy to review. I was completely free to express my thoughts.
Rating
About the Author
Matt Phelan is the creator of the graphic novels The Storm in the Barn (winner of a Scott O’Dell Award); Around the World; Bluffton; and the New York Times bestseller Snow White. He is also the author of Knights vs. Dinosaurs, Knights vs. Monsters, and Knights vs. the End (of Everything). Matt Phelan lives in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. www.mattphelan.com
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