I thought that this was a cute story and the images were nice.

It is quite simple in the story itself but I liked the repetitive nature in that the duck tries and tries to get a present sorted for his friend and each time it doesn't go to plan and something goes wrong.

This is the perfect book for toddlers, my daughter is two and it was right up her street and giggled away. She asked me to read it again straight after so that must have been a hit - it is 4 stars from us for this one! Highly recommended!!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This is a cute story that is simple in its tale and could have done with a little more depth to it, but I found it cute and enjoyable just the same.

This story is about a duck getting his friend a present but each one doesn't go to plan.

A perfect gift is one that comes from the heart. This book illustrates and describes (excitedly) how much more
Important the thought is than the actual gift. Money spent is nice but time and thought is better.

** spoiler alert ** A cute picture book where a duck tells the reader that he kept trying to get you a present but things kept going wrong. The ice cream cone fell, he gave the rocket ship to an alien that needed a ride home, and so on. At the end, it turns out the story is the gift, because it's full of adventure and all the things you like best. I'm not sure most kids would really like the gift of a story of why they didn't get a gift, even a fun story, but it's a cute premise I suppose.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

This was a clear match for my daughter. A goose protagonist is perfect right on the heels of the Untitled Goose Game, which my preschooler is obsessed with. Her birthday is coming up so she likes reading anything about that, as well. It's a simple story about trying to find the perfect gift and she loved the silly touches of the racecar etc.

I found it a bit odd to add giving away the rocket ship to the alien when other reasons a present didn't make it were simpler (ice cream fell, gift got lost, etc). If, as the marketing material says, the story is meant to have the message that helping is more important that presents, I would like that reinforced in more of the story. It isn't enough to put it in one interaction our of several repititions.

Overall, my daughter enjoyed it, but she hasn't asked for it again and I wasn't particularly charmed by it. Cute but not special.

A frankly daft premise for a book. I've seen more meaningful things on the comedy racks in card stores, and at nineteen Canadian dollars this is a bloody expensive version of just that - a comedy card. One and a half stars.

This is such a wonderful and fun read. My toddler loved it! We read it three times in a row. This is one I would absolutely recommend

A funny story about what it takes to find the perfect present. Not exactly what I was expecting, but it is a fun book and I think kids will like it for the birthday and present aspect.

At first glance, I thought this was a story about an obnoxious lying duck. But then I got to the end and... I get it.

The narrator, a duck, tells you (the reader) all about how they set out to get you the perfect gift. They tried making things. They tried buying things. But something always went wrong. No matter how simple or outlandish the gift, there's always an excuse as to why it isn't being given to you. Until... there's a meta twist. I won't spoil it.

The illustrations by Cale Atkinson, whose work I previously encountered in Sir Simon: Super Scarer, are fine, with a somewhat retro style and cute details throughout. I'm not sure if I really love them, but they do work well to illustrate the story.

Overall, this is an interesting twist on a picture book that focuses on birthdays and gift-giving... with an unexpected ending that ties everything together.