Is there a family legend that’s keeping your kid up a night? The following books might turn things around for them. The Terrakeet and The Quacken offer a humorous twist on the things we sometimes fear are lurking behind us.
THE TERRAKEET, by Jo van der Borgh and Jo Beasley, Candlewick, April, 29, 2025, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 4-8)
The Finlock family lives by the Pincer Sea, as peaceful as can be. They spend their days lounging and fishing for fronds to cook in their little copper kettles. It’s an idyllic life, disturbed only by their great fear of the frimbulitic Terrakeet! Luckily, they’ve never seen this carnivorous beast, for it lives beyond Finlock Bay. But one day, when there are no fronds to be found, the youngest Finlock journeys in all directions to search for other delectables . . . and comes face-to-face with the dreaded creature! But would such a terrible monster cry about swarming bees? Would it ask if the lad had been fed? First-time author Jo van der Borgh uses playful invented language to craft a classic story of discovering the true nature of others and making unexpected friends, illustrated with utter charm by Jo Beasley. —Synopsis provided by Candlewick
THE QUACKEN, by Justin Colón and Pablo Pino, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, July 16, 2024, Hardcover, $19.99 (ages 4-8)
Fans of The Bad Seed and Creepy Carrots will flock to this hilarious, lightly spooky picture book about a boy who unwittingly unleashes a ferociously fuzzy beast on his campground!
Lurking in the lake at Cucumonga Campground is a fearsome and frightening creature. Legend says that it swallows kids, canoes, and even whales whole. But all Hector sees are cute, cuddly, quacking ducks. Until he breaks the campground’s most important rule—Don’t Feed the Ducks—and releases…the Quacken. —Synopsis provided by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
*This post is part of a larger summer reading list, which consists of recommendations but not individual book reviews.
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