Just Call Me Mama! Duck, Duck, Dinosaur by Kallie George

MAMA DUCK'S EGGS HADN'T HATCHED YET.

BUT ALREADY SHE FELT LIKE THE LUCKIEST DUCK IN THE POND.

Mama Duck is a doting mother. She admires the two white eggs and the one large, green, spotted one that she had found and diligently pushed up hill with her bill the day before. Everything is ready for the big event.

Crrrr--rack! The first white egg crazes and then cracks open and out comes a yellow duckling.

MAMA NAMES HER FEATHER!

And as siblings will do, Feather and Flap begin to show off and outdo the other.

"I AM BIG," SAID FEATHER.

I'M BIG, TOO! I'M BIG, TOO! COUNTERS FLAP.

Not to be topped, Feather ruffles up her feathers and stands tall on her tiptoes.

"BUT I AM BIGGER!" SHE SAID.

But before the two siblings can top each other further, there's another, mightier CRRR-AAACK!

The green egg splits massively and out comes a very large and very green baby dinosaur!

Mama Duck names him Spike and gives him a kiss on his spiny head and settles down to admire her sweet family.

But the ducklings are not done competing. When Feather and Flap try to outdo each other with their funny dives into the pond, Spike hits the water in a humongous belly buster and wins that round.

"FUNNY!" HE PROCLAIMS.

But when the new hatchees are all cold and wet from their watery exploits, Mama knows best! Stretching out as far as she can, she nestles all three under her warm, feathery wings.

"HAPPY!" SAYS SPIKE.

It's all in a mama's day in Kallie George's Duck, Duck, Dinosaur (HarperCollins, 2016). George's narration takes it step by step with plenty of repetition, making this one easy listening and easy reading for storytime or beginning emergent readers. Oriol Vidal adds the simple and vivid illustrations, making this a funny and happy spring duckling tale.