NO WET FEET FOR QUINCY

Hayes’ picture book shows readers that it’s okay to have unique sensory needs.

Under no circumstances does Quincy like getting his feet wet. This is unusual for little ducks like him, and swans and geese that live at Dragonfly Pond cruelly mock him, asking if he’ll ever swim and why he cries. However, he also has a few friends that encourage him to come swimming with them. Quincy can’t express exactly what he hates about the feeling of wet feet. He tries to wear bright purple flip flops into the water, but they float away; next, Quincy tries wearing a snorkel mask and flippers, but pond water leaks through the holes. He again tries to join his friends for an aquatic adventure by wearing galoshes, but they’re not tall enough to keep water off his feet. Finally, Quincy decides to wear waders, which keep his feet nice and dry, and his friends surprise him by wearing waders of their own. Other ducks jump into the pond with Quincy, celebrating the fact that he feels comfortable enough to swim around the pond. When swans and geese appear to make fun of Quincy again, his friends help him ignore them and celebrate that Quincy persevered to find a solution to his sensory needs: The entire story is appealingly written in rhyming couplets with first-person narration from Quincy himself: “It took a few tries / To make this work,” he tells his friends. “Thank you for seeing / Beyond my quirk.” Dutton’s full-color cartoon illustrations are absolutely charming, and the textured background shading is a lovely touch. The story subtly integrates a clear message about accepting people who have specific sensory needs, and it’s one that young readers will easily understand, whether or not they have sensitivities of their own. Quincy also effectively models determination throughout with a daily mindful mantra: “Today’s a new day. / My friends are here.”

A fine work with a caring message and appealing illustrations.