A Must-Have Book of Shapes

Mail Duck: A Book of Shapes and Surprises
Written & Illustrated by Erica Sirotich
Age Level: 0-4 Years
Published April 21, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Books of 2020

Is it a square or a rectangle?

Learning shapes can feel a little rote. I remember sitting on the floor with some puzzles, a few dull books, and a shape sorter, trying to explain the difference between a circle and an oval to my son and watching his eyes glaze over with boredom. Where was this book when I needed it?! With 16 flaps to lift and delightful surprises on every page, this book makes mastering shapes effortlessly fun. 

Mail Duck has a bunch of packages to deliver to his animal friends, let’s go! Each 2-page spread is a stop along the route where you meet one of Mail Duck’s friends and discover their favorite shape. Trudy loves triangles, so she lives in a triangle shaped house. Open the flap to peek inside her home, and it’s packed floor to ceiling with triangle-shaped furniture and decor! Mail Duck delivers Trudy her package, it’s triangle shaped, of course. I wonder what’s inside? A triangle shaped party hat! Each page repeats the pattern: animal friends live in different shaped homes, filled with objects that are their favorite shape, and they receive a special shaped package containing a piece of party supplies. But who is the party for? I won’t spoil it. 

“But I already delivered the surprises, Mail Quail. What’s inside the post office?”

Lifting the flaps is fun, and great fine motor practice! And the interactive component is super engaging, so you won’t have any eyes glazing over. Your child will be a pro at identifying shapes after a few readings without even realizing that they were learning. With its party theme, you might want to buy two copies of this one - one for you, and one for future gifting.