Kirkus Reviews (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Picture- and board-book duo Duck and Goose get the early-reader treatment.Duck has a gift for his pal Goose—and it's not even Goose's birthday! The friendliest fowl around, Duck puts this gift (a mystery to readers) in a white box, paints the box in colorful stripes, and ties a ribbon around it. To top it off, he even includes a handmade card. Goose arrives on the scene and starts honking questions about the present. As soon as Goose realizes the box is for him—and is a convenient receptacle for all his "special things"—he rushes off to gather his many treasures. When Goose returns, Duck tells his hasty friend the box is not the actual gift and invites him to open it, which Goose does to discover…another box! Using a vocabulary of around 60 unique words (usually 8 or fewer per page) Hills successfully shepherds the duo into their newest format. Rather than using italics, the design underlines a few words for emphasis. The spare mixed-media illustrations directly correlate to the text, featuring one or both birds in a patch of grass set against an ample solid white background. In addition to aiding decoding, the book's predictable pattern contributes to its well-paced comedic moments. On one spread, for instance, Goose unexpectedly breaks the fourth wall in a moment of heightened emotion.Fans of Duck and Goose can happily take the pair with them as they move toward independent reading. (Early reader. 4-7)

ALA Booklist (Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

The endearing characters who first appeared in Hills' picture book Duck & Goose (2006), and later in other titles for young children, return in a beginning-reader book from the Step into Reading series. Duck has a gift for his friend Goose and puts it into a box, which he paints with red, blue, and yellow stripes. He watches the paint dry, adds a card and a bow, and presents it to his friend. Excited to receive a striped box as a present, Goose runs off to get his treasures to put inside. Misunderstood and deflated, Duck waits. When Goose returns, Duck explains the gift is inside the striped box. Opening it, Goose finds exactly what he needs. Simple, colorful paintings underscore the story's gentle humor, which lies in the birds' expressions and the final surprise. Any child who struggles with reading will appreciate the large font, short words, and brief sentences of the text, but the familiar characters make this a particularly good choice for kids who get an early start on learning to read.

School Library Journal (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

PreS-Gr 1 When Duck presents Goose with a colorful and neatly wrapped gift, Goose gets excited to have the striped box to store his special stuff inside. He gathers his crayons, shell, hats, and his ball of yarn while Duck tries to find the words to tell him his gift is actually inside the striped box. When Goose unwraps his gift, he finds a polka dotted box. Duck tells Goose it is for him to keep his special stuff inside. Of course, Goose is delighted and grateful. Typical of the series illustrations, Hills shows action and emotion in this funny story through bright, charming images of young Duck and Goose. VERDICT Fans of the series will enjoy this comical mix-up of friendship, generosity, and appreciation. Lindsay Persohn, University of South Florida, Tampa and Polk County Public Schools .