Illustrated by Ryan Sias (Thanks, Ryan!)
published by HMH Books for Young Readers, October 10, 2017
early reader, ages four through seven

About the books

Meet Woof and Quack, a fun pair of pals who defy dog and duck stereotypes. Woof absolutely does not like to fetch—not a ball, not a banana, not that lovely cake. Good thing Quack likes to fetch! The results are laugh-out-loud comical in the debut of this exuberant beginning reader series that’s perfect for fans of Elephant and Piggie and Ballet Cat. Story unfolds in speech bubbles on colorful pages brimming with easy-to-read banter, fun-to-repeat phrases, and silly sound effects—SWOOSH! WHOOSH! WOBBLE! SPLAT! 

Woof & Quack in Winter: Winter is coming! Quack has decided he is absolutely not flying south this winter. He wants to play in the snow, sled, skate, and build snow ducks. His pal Woof is skeptical but goes along with the scheme until—BRRR!—Woof insists he's flying south. But wait! Dogs do not fly south in winter! Or do they? Beginning readers will be tickled to find out in this colorful, easy-to-read story starring a not-so-typical dog and duck. WOOF! WOOF! QUACK! QUACK!

Inspiration
Woof and Quack are two good friends who often surprise each other (like all friends do!). When Woof doesn’t like to fetch things, Quack is surprised. When Quack does like to fetch things, Woof is surprised—and when they decide to play fetch with a lovely cake—well, the result is not all that surprising, but it is delicious (messy) fun! I hope the young readers who pick up Woof and Quack enjoy reading them, but also think about their own friendships and how it’s okay for everyone to be who they are meant to be (even if it surprises their friends!).

Review
“Using fewer than 50 words and their variants, Swenson challenges species-specific behavior assumptions in this engaging, somewhat silly, and mildly surprising early reader. … Exuberant and expressive cartoon illustrations set against bright solid color backgrounds express the genuine friendship of these unlikely pals. … Woof and Quack may not be quite ready to replace Elephant and Piggie, but they are just as much fun.” (Kirkus Reviews)