I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

This book didn't hold our attention. I think How Rude! had the potential to be more than it was, and would have benefited from more dialogue. We see Dot becoming increasingly frustrated with Duck, but Dot never actually communicates her feelings. We always tell our children to use their words to express their thoughts and emotions, which allows us to have conversations. Eventually Dot snaps and does something rude, and Duck realizes he was being a terrible friend.

I think it sends a bad message to children, because the book is essentially telling them to mimic the bad behavior to solve their problems. Dot should have tried talking to Duck instead of lashing out. I believe this one missed the mark.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on January 17, 2019.