Kirkus Reviews

A hip-looking white duck with a bandanna and blue ankle boots tries to find a job he will enjoy.Duck looks for a city job despite the dull-seeming descriptions he reads in the job ads. After snagging an interview, his next task is to assemble his interview suit: a black hat and an attaché case. After small mishaps on the way, he is interviewed by a faceless white man (Mr. Boss) and gets the position. In his cubicle, surrounded by white humans, he is bored into slumber by spreadsheets. Leaving that job, he decides to become an artist. (Is this autobiographical?) This time, a black woman, wearing jeans and the same blue ankle boots as Duck, interviews him. He finally finds his niche at Creative Magazine and happily commutes, via skateboard! The text is short, in keeping with early-elementary attention spans, though the theme seems better suited to millennials than little kids. The posterlike mixed-media illustrations are droll, but the limited palette, relying on blues, browns, white, and black, likewise has a very mature look. Visual jokes add interest (inclusion of ducks in famous paintings is amusing), but the adults sharing this with children seem to be the appropriate audience. Still, the important message here is that the creative life is a great choice.The book effectively suggests that the term "rat race" may no longer be applicable to urban job life, but its audience is uncertain. (Picture book. 4-6)

School Library Journal (Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

PreS-Gr 3 Duck wants a job. All of Duck's friends have corporate-type jobs in the city and suggest that he get one, too. He applies for a boring job, gets an interview, dresses in professional attire, lands the job, and hates it. So he quits. Seemingly out of nowhere, a wall of art appears and it is stated that Duck has always wanted to be an artist. He applies for an art job. The rest of the book mirrors the first job application process but reads like a "how to" for finding the job that's right for you. Although the message of being true to yourself and doing what you love is a good one, the discussion of business dress, pep talks, and job interviews brings the audience for the book into question. Short text and simple sentence structure along with large, mixed-media style illustrations indicate a young audience. Subject matter and text within the illustrations make this better suited to an older audience. Books with more kid appeal about following one's dreams abound. VERDICT An additional purchase. Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA

ALA Booklist (Tue May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Duck is sick of his friends talking about their jobs in the city, so he sets out to get a job himself. He's not sure how to dress or what to say in his cover letter, but he puts on a tie and takes a cab to Office Corp, and despite his awkward interview, he scores a job. Much to his chagrin, spreadsheets are not fun, but he does learn that a cubicle is a pretty cozy spot to take a nap. Ross' appealing artwork, full of speckled textures and a warm yet muted palette, nicely demonstrates mood: Office Corp scenes are overcast with gray, and Duck is surrounded by bland motivational posters, while the job he gets later, as an artist, is sunny and bright, much more in keeping with Duck's jaunty look. Adults might be better suited to appreciate the sly jokes about the drudgery of cubicle farms, but the overall message of sticking with your true interests instead of following the flock is one that's sure to resonate with kids.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Many stories deal with career pretend play, but Ross puts a clever spin on the concept with his earnest titular character, Duck, who is full-grown and seeking his life-s work. Duck-s friends all have office jobs where they wear bowler hats, carry briefcases, and rave about spreadsheets, so Duck figures he needs one of those jobs, too. With a little nervous planning, he finds himself hired at Office Corp., where he dons a headset, works in a cubicle (a -YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO THE COMPANY-BOSS- poster adorns one of its walls), and is so bored he falls asleep. But rather than despair, Duck becomes determined: he quits after his first day, puts together a portfolio of drawings, exchanges his bowler for his jaunty bandana, and lands the job of his dreams at Creativity Magazine. It-s a story that may be as inspiring to professionally alienated adults as it is entertaining for kids. Both audiences will appreciate the stylish Risograph drawings-which combine bold graphic shapes with softly speckled textures-and the plucky, if slightly neurotic, protagonist who just wants to do what he loves. Ages 3-7. (June)