School Library Journal
“The flat, full-bleed illustrations have well-defined lines, and the art conveys a lot of feeling in its simplicity. The somber colors suit the tale, which is both bittersweet and heartwarming.”

Horn Book
“The book’s strength is the directness and speed with which art and minimal text tell the story. Pastel and mixed-media illustrations are on colored paper, which imparts warmth and a pleasing texture. The stylized figures, with big heads on otherwise regularly proportioned bodies, keep the reader’s focus on what the boy is thinking and feeling; uncertainty when the duckling follows him home; nervous sheepishness when he presents it to his parents as a proposed pet; pride during show-and-tell at school; surprise and then resigned sadness when the peeps turn into quacks.”

Midwest Book Review
“At once nostalgic and post-modern, illustrator Kevin Luthardt's wonderful new picture book "Peep!" is a laugh-out-loud joy… Luthardt is skilled in the art of storytelling through nearly wordless pictures and it's not an easy task. His boldly colored images act as stills from a cartoon, with only sound effects and the occasional dialog bubble breaking the silence. In a crowded world of picture books, this will stand out as a wholly unique, witty and timeless achievement.”

Booklist
“Luthardt does a lot with a little in this delightful book starring a little duck… The nearly wordless text (pretty much reduced to “peep” and “quack”) is neatly set on pages of sturdy artwork that emphasizes shape and strong colors instead of decoration or design. Little ones will have to stretch their brains a bit to make connections here between facial expressions, actions, and words, but that makes this all the more useful.”

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“This is a classic story, but there is a twist here: it is told in no more than a dozen different words (and any kid who can manage to read “peep” has covered half the text right there). Luthardt uses his restricted verbal palette wisely, treating the words as punctuation and emphasis for the story… Illustrations give plenty of narrative signals on their own, whether it be the seasonally changing landscapes, the growing duck, or the wistful face of the boy sending the duck along his way. The high cue-quotient and streamlined language make this a useful bridge for novice decoders of the printed word.”

OC Family Magazine (Newport Beach, CA)
“This wondrous book is spare on words but big on illustrations and emotions… Little more than the word “peep” is uttered in the text, but so much is told… Kevin Luthardt’s illustrations are quite ingenious in their use of facial expressions to tell the tale of love and letting go.”

Fort Worth, Texas I.S.D. Book Reviews
“This almost wordless story of friendship between a boy and a
baby duck is easy to follow because of the colorful, unique and inviting
illustrations. The age-old tale of love and loss is expressed at a level
for very young readers to understand.”

New Orleans Times
“’Peep!’ is almost wordless and quite entertaining… An unexpected surprise makes the ending happy. Based on a true story, and with the photographs of the author’s duckling, Peepsee, on the back flap, this satisfying tale of letting go is delightful.”

Tampa, Florida Tribune and Times
“Virtually a wordless picture book, the boy and duck communicate in perfectly effective monosyllable sounds. Luthardt’s characters, with their prominent heads and expressive eyes, convey a range of subtle emotions.”