NORA'S DUCK

In a loving tribute to the work of her English friend ``Doctor John,'' Ichikawa portrays the endearing child from Nora's Stars (1989) taking him an injured duckling she has found. Doctor John, a retired physician who now cares for many such animals, assures Nora that the duckling only needs rest; then he shows her around his establishlment, introducing his other patients—birds, domestic animals, even an old parrot that used to belong to his mother. The artist's sweet, precise style is perfect for this idyll in a contemporary peaceable kingdom; the simple, uneventful story is nicely rounded when Nora returns the duckling to its mother on the way home to her own. A good addition to the sensitivity-to-other-species collection. (Picture book. 4-8)