In 1941, Viking Press published Robert McCloskey’s Make Way for Ducklings, a wonderful picture book about a mallard family that received the 1942 Caldecott Medal. It remains hugely popular today. Why? Simply put: Kids love ducks—and this inarguable fact has inspired countless other authors and illustrators. Here are three fine, feathered duck tales that Kirkus Indie can recommend:
“Ducktor” Morty Sosland's The Can Do Duck, with illustrations by , tells the story of Little One, a small, white duck who has a fear of trying new things—including such useful duck activities as swimming and flying. However, Little One’s mother teaches the bird that planning and visualizing tasks can make them less scary. Kirkus’ reviewer praises the book’s “Positive advice for helping kids set and meet personal goals.”
Joy Heyer’s Duck, Duck, Moose features “charming illustrations and an animal story that nicely models emotional intelligence without being preachy,” according to Kirkus’ reviewer. In it, a grown duck is looking for an animal with whom to play the game duck, duck, goose, because the local goose has gone south for the winter. He tries to play with a pig, a porcupine, and a moose, among others, with little success—until they find a new game to play.
In All Ducks Are Birds (But, Not All Birds Are Ducks), which received a Kirkus star, author/illustrator Tara Michele Zrinski teaches young readers basic logic concepts—noting, for example, how all ducks are birds, but not all birds are ducks; that geese and swans are also birds but are not ducks; and that although ducks, geese, and swans can take flight, not all birds can. Kirkus’ reviewer writes that “children may learn the building blocks from sheer enjoyment rather than considering these useful points formal lessons.”
David Rapp is the senior Indie editor.
