Quackenstein Hatches A Family, now in groovy 8 x 8 size

From the perspective of a bibliophile, Quackenstein Hatches A Family is one of those illustrated books that you’ll discover in K or early elementary classrooms that’s been read in brutal fashion. The spine is cracked in several locations. Multiple pages are dog-eared. The front cover has a dozen (or more) crayon scribbles on it. It’s also one of those books that young readers will seek out and immerse themselves in during silent read time.

This has been happening since 2010 when Quackenstein Hatches A Family was originally published. As if publishers were listening to your smart speaker-and I’m sure that they, or anyone else with the intention of selling a product aren’t listening to your devices, an update has been issued. However, let me put the cynical, adult in me aside and say that this release of Quackenstein Hatches A Family has something new to offer that’s better for their key consumers.

In this case, the key consumers are those classrooms or libraries that have been using the same copy of the book. It might’ve been through a decade of users or a couple of children, but the odds are that it’s ragged, beaten up and looks more like a recycled document than a book. For those young readers who are just entering the world of books it’s still great news for them. Those parents or book buyers also have great news, and it’s the same news, in one way or another that all of these groups can share.

It’s a lower price.  Quackenstein Hatches A Family has been shrunk just a bit to an 8 x 8 size, and as goes the size, follows the price. Now at $4.99 it’s a price point that doesn’t make readers hesitate in its purchase at all. “Why, that’s the price of a coffee”, you might say. When you factor in the entertainment value that ages four and up will have while reading Quackenstein that entry point is a no-brainer.  

The bright, funny illustrations by Brian T. Jones are still there. The rhyming text and silly, but relatable story are also here. Quack is a duck in the zoo who’s feeling out of place. All of the other animals have someone to snuggle or hug, yet they’re left feeling like a round peg amongst a sea of square holes.

The cover to Quackenstein Hatches A Family provides insight into its retro, classic monster movie vibe. There are channels of contrasting light coming from around the outside of an egg. It’s as if the egg has an aura, and readers will imply that there’s a monster of some sort in the egg that’s just about to hatch. There are a couple of other pages in the book that introduce young readers to their inner Boris Karloff.

Young readers will love the soft comedy that the book produces. Of course the egg isn’t a duck’s egg, and once it’s revealed who really is coming to dinner the kids will laugh even more. The story also teaches the lesson that we all can be loved and are worthy of it. Those astute readers will also notice the differences between Quack’s house in the beginning, when compared to the end. It’s an unfriendly shack that’s set amidst a dark swamp. However, at the end it’s much more of a home, with it being kept up, there’s a hint of color on it and sign that welcomes people, instead of insisting that they go away.

Quackenstein Hatches A Family was a great illustrated book. This slightly smaller version is still a great illustrated book. Actually, in the theater of the heavily used books, it’s even better because of its lower price. The content is the same, it’s big enough to be shared as a read-along-book and this version even includes some stickers that it didn’t include upon its initial release. Now, good luck having the younger readers not stick those stickers over the content in the book.

Quacknstein Hatches A Family is by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen with illustrations by Brian T. Jones and available on Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Abrams Books.

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