Two Dumb Ducks (review)

As ducks go, Steve and Carl are actually pretty clever, if a little weird (Steve likes aluminum cans, while Carl enjoys "squishy and smelly" old socks). It's the local seagulls who call them "two dumb ducks" and repeatedly jeer at them, much to the puzzlement and increasing annoyance of the feathered friends, who finally decide to take action against their tormentors. The climax (a muddy Steve and Carl are mistaken by the gulls for "Muck Monsters") is fairly anticlimactic, and it's not clear how it resolves the teasing question, but it's Steve and Carl's goofy camaraderie that carries the day here. The charge of "dumb" is a familiar weapon in kid-dom, so audiences will immediately bristle on behalf of S&C, especially since the friends, who'd clearly never bother a soul, are such funny, endearing company. The artwork on the matte pages is simple and easygoing, with even black lines providing outlines and occasional indications of dimension, while digital color smoothly fills in the spaces; the palette of blue sky, green vegetation, and yellow ducks remains an upbeat constant throughout nearly every spread. If you're looking for a quick, genial, and silly outing, this will fill the ducky bill.