This book would be very entertaining for children anywhere from kindergarten to 4th or 5th grade. The duck in the story is very innocent but eager. He knows he could easily be lost in the city, but he wants to tag along with his friends anyways. The moral of this story is to always stay with the group, because it is easy to be lost in busy areas. I would definitely read this book in my future classroom. ( )

Beautiful illustrations and a delightful tale. ( )

Cat, Squirrel and Duck - the three soup-making friends (and roommates) whose first adventure was chronicled in the Kate Greenaway Medal-winning Pumpkin Soup - return for another adventure in this second book, setting off for the big city on a shopping expedition, when they run out of salt. Predictably (given the contretemps of the first book), it is Duck who causes a commotion, when he gets so distracted by his idea that their soup would benefit from pepper, as well as salt, that he fails to keep up with his friends. Will Duck ever find Cat and Squirrel again...?

A Pipkin of Pepper is an engaging follow-up to Helen Cooper's initial story about this trio, with a narrative that will keep young readers involved - haven't most children become lost, at some point - and gorgeous illustrations that fairly leap off the page, in all their autumn splendor. I simply loved Cooper's cityscapes here, her use of color, even her decorative endpapers! Lovely, lovely, lovely! I will definitely be tracking down the third title to feature these characters, Delicious! ( )

The illustrations are *cute*, and the expressions on the animals' faces are priceless. The text is lengthy and trips up a bit here and there, but it's still very readable. Fun, even with its flaws. ( )