Duck on a Tractor with Read along CD

Duck

by David Shannon

"I bet I can drive a tractor," he said. The other animals weren't so sure, but they all said, "Well, if he can ride a bike, maybe he can drive a tractor, too!"

Down on the farm, Duck sometimes got wild ideas. Once he rode a bike all around the barnyard. It was fun! Then he spotted the big red tractor. "I bet I can drive a tractor," he said.

Duck jumped on. At first it moved very slowly, and it jerked a lot, but it was exciting! "Climb on, everybody!" Duck shouted to all the animals.

Before long, Cow, Chicken, Sheep, Dog, Goat, and the others were all going for a ride through the middle of town—right past the crowded diner.

"I must be seeing things!" said a man named Otis. "Holy cow!" hollered Manny the Cook. What would happen next?

Come along and join the fun as award-winner David Shannon artfully combined bold, bright illustrations with an irresistible story that begs to be read again and again.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Humor, Childrens, Fiction, Storytime, Adventure

Audio CD

First published September 13, 2016

About the author

David Shannon is the author and illustrator of many highly praised books for children. Born in Washington, D.C., he grew up in Spokane, Washington. He graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, with a fine arts degree, and then moved to New York City. His editorial illustrations have appeared in The New York Times, Time, and Rolling Stone, and his artwork has appeared on numerous book jackets. Shannon is a passionate baseball fan and softball player. He and his wife now live in Los Angeles.


David Shannon @ Scholastic

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if I was going to like this one. I read another of David Shannon's picture books back in 2018, and pretty much hated it. The pictures creeped me out. Luckily, this book isn't about the demon child named David, but about a duck who, having mastered riding a bicycle, tries his hand at driving a tractor and takes all his barnyard friends along for the ride.

This is apparently the sequel to Duck on a Bike, which I haven't read (although I kind of want to now). The premises of these books are just silly enough to work, and I can see why they appeal to kids. I thought it got a little tiresome by the time we got to town and heard all the thoughts of the people in the diner, but if you don't mind repetition, you might like this a bit more than I did.

The illustrations are detailed and fun, and all the characters are well defined. I wonder what shenanigans Duck will find himself caught up in next...

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's plenty of hilarity and hijinks when Duck and his barnyard buddies take a spin on a tractor.

This illustration really cracked quacked me up!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duck decides to take a ride on the tractor and takes all the other animals along with him in this hilarious picture book. I loved how everyone said one thing but meant another. So true of all we all talk. The illustrations were absolutely wonderful.

[Alexandra Ibberson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shannon's zany story of Duck will have kids laughing. Duck decides to take the farmer's tractor for a drive and he convinces all the other animals on the farm to ride along. They drive down Main St. past the local diner where the town's residents watch in dismay. They can't believe their eyes! They chase the tractor but all the animals hop off and run home before they catch up to them. They decide they must have been seeing things. With its outlandish story line and hilarious illustrations, this book is sure to be a favorite for young kids.

[orangerful · Rating 2 out of 5]

Duck On A Bike is one of my go-to storytime books. I think I have it memorized at this point. So I was pretty excited when I saw that this sequel was coming out. But, sadly, it did not live up to my dreams. I felt like it was too long and a little bit crowded on the page, not just the illustrations but the text. Don't think I will be using this one for preschool programs.

[Suzanne Maley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very excited to see a sequel to one of my favorites: Duck on a Bike. Duck on a Tractor is a worthy follow up but it didn't tickle me as much the original. Still I'm glad to see duck is back!

[Hapzydeco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Using a different mode of transportation, Award-winner David Shannon strikes again with Duck.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duck takes the tractor and his chums for a joy ride from farm to town, but the gimmick of the cumbersome asides gets old by the time the animals vamoose. Highly detailed illustrations of the barnyard animals and the townsfolk would make this work as a wordless story, too.

[Cynthia Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duck is up to his usual shenanigans after his successful bike ride around the farm, he then makes the decision (aloud in the barnyard and within earshot of all the animals) to attempt to drive the tractor. At duck's invitation, the animals in the barnyard eagerly decide to jump on the tractor and take an excursion with Duck. Dog, Cow and two pigs are the first passengers, joined by Chicken, Mouse and Goat. Horse and Cat hop aboard and the latecomer was Sheep. Duck successfully steers the tractor off the farm property and into town. He cruises by the diner where all the townsfolk were eating their lunch. Staring in disbelief the townspeople sit gaping at the sight of duck driving the tractor with a load of animals aboard, and each of them has an unbelievable response. Farmer O'Dell admires the fine looking tractor and then realizes the tractor Duck is driving is actually his! A chase ensues led by Farmer O'Dell and all the other diners but Duck has already reached the next street and is turning the corner. Unfortunately the tractor has run out of gasoline and one page shows all the animals peering at the gas indicator pointing to "E". Dog declares they have come to the end of the their ride and each animal scurried down off the tractor. The racing adults all declare that what they thought they'd seen was an optical illusion and returned to finish eating their lunch. None of the diners admitted seeing any animals on a tractor that day. The illustrations are classic David Shannon, the expressions on people's faces is priceless and equally astounding is the girth of the deputy and the mayor. Children will enjoy this book, whether they have heard the previous book, Duck on a Bike or not. David Shannon never disappoints with his picture books. Each is more exciting than the last book and definitely causes the reader to crave another David Shannon book to read! This book easily earns a whopping 5 stars!!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rich with colors and shenanigans, the animals pull one over on the townspeople in this hilarious story of the duck who drives a tractor through town.

Imagine a big, bold red tractor, driven by a small duck whose wings drive like they were arms. Imagine this duck kicking the tires, to check them out. Surprised it rumbled when he turned the shiny metal by the steering wheel, he shouted, “Climb on, everybody!” The dog up first, then the cow and pigs, each having their own thoughts about the big red tractor. Driving by the diner, everyone stops and stares, each sharing their own inside thoughts about what they see. Until Farmer O’Dell realizes it’s his tractor, and they all run out and chase it. But when the people reach it, the animals are gone.

You’ll have to find out what happened and enjoy each character’s banter about the big red tractor. The illustrations are bold, bright, and full of character; readers can read each character’s thoughts before they read the words. This book is perfect for read alouds and just plain silliness. Written/illustrated by award-winning David Shannon.

[Abbey Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duck on a Tractor is a cute tale where Duck finds a tractor on the farm and invites all of his friends to climb on board as well! Duck takes the tractor into town and drives it around. Everyone in the diner sees him and is utterly confused. The farmer realized that that was his tractor, and he ran out of the diner. To find out what happened to the animals and the tracto, read this fun book! I really enjoyed the illustrations and the storyline. The illustrations were rustic and matched the theme of the tractor and farm. The storyline was simple and straightforward. I liked that the author included what the animals and people were saying and what they really meant. I think that this book would be good for any readers that are learning that at times, people say something different than they actually mean.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since Duck found he could ride a bike, Duck On A Bike, he’s sure he can drive a tractor too. So he climbs on the tractor, fiddles around a bit, and with a cough and a rumble, the tractor is running. “Climb on, everybody!” he shouts to his friends. A dog, cow, goat, cat, sheep, chicken, horse, two pigs, and a mouse climb aboard. Duck takes the tractor to town and drives by the local diner.The farmer realizes that the beautiful tractor driving by is his! However, about that time the tractor stops and the dial is pointing to E. The Dog says he thinks it means it’s the End of their ride. Oops! What now?

Cons: Though the illustrations are very detailed and the people fun caricatures, they don’t feel very kid-friendly. I also felt the text was a bit long and repetitive.

Pros: Many of the illustrations are outstanding, and I especially loved the cover of the book.

[Madison Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duck on a Tractor was written and illustrated by David Shannon. Duck thought that if he could ride a bike that he could drive a tractor also and all the other animals weren’t so sure but agreed with Duck. All the Animals end up getting on and riding through town. All the towns people were shocked that all the barn yard animals were driving a tractor and then thought that it was an illusion. This is a good story because it teaches children that it is okay to try new things even if they seem impossible. It also teaches that some things may seem impossible but end up being possible. The genre of this story is fiction. Overall, I would suggest this story to younger children because it teaches animal sounds along with trying impossible things.

[Rachel Crowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very cute book. It is about a bunch of farm animals who wanted to go onto the tractor. The duck saw the tractor one day and said that he could drive it, he could do it. So the duck started driving and he asked a lot of the farm animals to join. First was the dog who just jumped on with no doubt. Then the cows pigs,chickens, mouse, goat, house, cat and then the sheep in that order. They stared making their way through town on the tractor and everyone was staring and taking pictures. Then the farmer said hey thats a nice tractor! Wait thats mine! So he chased the tractor as well as all of the town. BUT the tractor ran out of gas and the animals fled back to the farm.

[Stephanie Chiaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It seems like a great book for school-aged children, K through second, maybe. The storyline features a bunch of farm animals doing the impossible and somehow convincing the whole town that it had never been done. It's not exactly a good book to teach great behavior as it promotes a pretty dangerous act as well as neglecting to take responsibility for one's actions, but for children who are a bit older and won't mimic the behaviors in the book, there is a hidden lesson that you should never let someone tell you you can't do something.

[Hannah Feeney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duck on a Tractor has to be one of the silliest books I have read. The vivid illustrations are great. The animals are drawn so realistically which makes this story even funnier. When each animal gets on they make their animal sound but then the author also clues readers in to what they are thinking as they board the tractor. The image of all the animals piled on the tractor is hilarious and my favorite part of the book. I think this book would have children laughing so hard. What a great book!!

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Shannon's work is pure nostalgia for days long past when my daughter used to sit on my lap and continually ask for "one more book." Thankfully because of fantastic authors like Shannon, she has a deep-seeded love of reading and continues to ask for another book, now snuggled up next to my side. Duck on a Tractor brought the same comical read-aloud rhyme and expressive lovable characters as its predecessor.

[Serenity · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Shannon never fails to tell a great story. This is a fun, funny book that will make a great readaloud, but also a great lap read because there are details a reader could miss if you don't look closely.

I will admit, I was a little disappointed I could not find a picture of Fergus in this book, although I pored over it twice.

*I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher through my district library services*

[Suzanne Koziol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this series so long ago. The illustrations have evolved a bit but still the same crazy duck. He decides to steal the tractor and then convinces the rest of the animals to go with him. They are rolling down Main St. when the town people see and are amazed. They try to chase them but by the time they catch up all of the animals run home. Love all the Duck stories and their funny story lines.

[Eunbi Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustraion was amazing and I loved it. In addition, story was hilarious. However, If I were a kid, I could be disappointed after reading the book. The cover of the book can make children excited because the illustration is realistic and powerful but it is too distracting to have many texts in. But I recommend to read this book though it has disadvantages, the story is funny and kids will love the animals in this book.

[Concetta Seidler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a funny book! I loved reading it. The animals don't doubt duck's ability to drive a tractor because he can ride a bike. Although he has a rough start he gets used to it and starts driving the big read machine. He invites all animals to join and then steers onto the rode where the people from the diner see him driving the tractor. This is such a great book for kids to read because of the humor it provides for the audience.

[DeNae · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a cute idea for a follow up to duck on a bike, but the presentation felt a little clunky to me. And, yes, I realize I'm putting far too much thought into a picture book, but the format of following up what each character said with what they were actually thinking while they spoke got cumbersome.

[Melanie H. · Rating 1 out of 5]

A much-anticipated follow up to "Duck on a Bike" leaves much to be desired. The pages are overly busy with too much text. It drags on for quite a while.

I also wonder if anyone was a bit taken aback by the expression of "Gwen's" face when she came out of the bathroom? Does that look like an illustrator mocking an Asian person?

I'm not pleased at all.

[Mikey Golczynski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great paintings with wonderfully expressive faces, the illustrations make up for what I consider to be a lacking text, especially when compared to the charm of the original Duck on a Bike. I still enjoyed it.

[pati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duck's at it again and this time the other animals join right in! Good thing the townsfolk aren't so gullible that they believe a duck and all those farm animals would be driving a tractor through town.

[Daphne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sequel to Duck on a Bike is just as funny, if not funnier, than the first, and the ending (including the photo) is hilarious. The illustrations really help tell this story of figuring out what is really being said and what is really being seen.

[Maeghan Nutmeg Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked seeing the similarities between the observing humans and those adventurous animals! Not sure if this tops Duck on a Bike, though. I work with some very dedicated fans of that one and they found that this follow-up did not meet their high expectations.

[Cosette · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a very dangerous book to read aloud to a kid. It describes in detail how to start a truck. I had to change some of the words and omit entire sentences. Alternatively, I may give a copy to my eldest next year when he starts driving - look, I'd say, driving is so easy even a duck can do it!

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aw, man. This one doesn't hold a candle to "Duck on a Bike," one of my favorites. While Shannon's animals are cute and funny-looking, the people look kind of grotesque. I felt like there was way too much text and it did not have the same humor as its predecessor. Oh well!

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book. This is a good book for an older group, and by older I mean elementary, maybe pre-school. Dave Shannon is a wonderful author and illustrator! Fun for a farm, animal, tractor themed storytime.