Skip to main content

Lucky Ducklings







 

Lucky Ducklings: A True Rescue Story 
Eva Moore, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
Orchard Books, 2013. Unpaged.  Picture Book

Reminiscent of Robert McCloskey's "Make Way for Ducklings," this richly illustrated book is based on a true story. Pippin, Bippin, Tippin, Dippin, and Little Joe are out on a stroll in Montauk, New York with Mama Duck when the unthinkable happens. All five babies fall through the slots of a storm drain. The ducklings frantically quack for help. A nearby observer calls the Fire Department. Unfortunately, the Firemen are unable to lift the heavy grate. Another community helper with a roll of cable in his truck lends a hand. The grate is lifted and the firemen rescue the small ducklings one by one. Placed in a pail of water, they are delivered to Mama Duck. Then the whole family is safely escorted across the street. They proceed to waddle home, away from the city and into the country. The last page shows five sillouetted ducklings and their mother swimming into the sunset. Children will find the situation fraught with drama and anticipation but they will be equally soothed with the very satisfactory ending. Charcoal and digital media are used to produce the gorgeous effects of this early Caldecott contender.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...

Books That Take You There: Hawaii

As summer turns to fall, I always wish for more warm days before the cold comes. So if you, like me,  want to ship yourself to a tropical paradise, try out one of these books that will take you straight to Hawaii, even if it's only in your imagination. Aloha Everything Written by Kaylin Melia George Illustrated by Mae Waite Brooklyn, NY: Red Comet Press, 2024. Picture Book. This book, which won the 2025 APALA Award for Best Picture Book, tells the story of a Hawaiian girl who gains connection to her culture through hula. She learns about her ancestors, native folklore, and the true meaning of aloha. This book, which is written in verse, is lengthy and is probably better for elementary-aged kids rather than toddlers, but kids will be drawn in by the excellent story and the gorgeous, bright illustrations. Punky Aloha By Shar Tuiasoa New York: Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2022. Picture Book. Punky's grandmother needs butter to make her fresh, baked from scratch b...

Dragon Run

Dragon Run by Patrick Matthews Scholastic, 2013.  336 pgs.  Fantasy      Al Pilgrommor is excited for Testing Day, when he will receive his rank, a tattooed number on the back of his neck, and a path forward to his future occupation and life.  He feels confident because his parents were fours on a scale of seven, but he is worried for his friend Wisp who doesn't have much of a chance of scoring above a two at best. But when Al is scored a zero, he not only has no prospects, he may lose his life as the dreaded Cullers are unleashed to kill him and his family to purify the land's bloodlines.  Al's world is ruled by dragons--the lords and supposed creators of humankind--so he thinks that even if he survives, he will have to make his living as a beggar or thief. But when Al sticks up for his Earther friend in front of Magister Ludi, he is drawn into the struggle of a secret organization hoping to destroy the Cullers, and perhaps the dragons them...