One snowy night, a half-frozen duck named Max struggles to a house where a woman lives with a menagerie of pets. Welcomed into the household, he tells the animals that he stayed behind when his flock flew south. Quickly, and sometimes hilariously, outgoing Max learns to live indoors, while the other animals try to adjust to his creative cooking and his tendency to hog the remote. When his flock returns, the others pets are not sorry to see him go, but after his departure they do hope for his return. Though Urbanovic has illustrated other books, such as Denia Hester's Grandma Lena's Big Ol' Turnip (2005), this is her first work as writer-illustrator, and a very promising start it is. The story is simple, the expressive pictures are pleasing, and both work well together. With both comical and tender moments, this is a fine picture book for reading aloud. Shiny red letters and a goofy-looking Max on the cover invite readers in. Carolyn Phelan
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