Description: A tender sibling story about how we make unlikely friendships as seasons shift and hearts grow.
A sweet picture book for ages 3 to 7 where friendships with ducks helps a boy face change and appreciate his growing sibling bond. Nothing feels the same after a young boy moves to a new place. He misses his friends, but he finds new friendship with 41 ducks. They don't act like his friends, but they have their own quirks as they waddle and quack their way into his heart as he loves and nurtures them. Mom warns that the ducks will fly south for the winter, and the boy hopes they might want to stay. But you can't fight nature. His bird friends fly away, and he's all alone again. Or is he? A heartwarming picture book about moving and the unlikely friendships found only through change in their lives. "A lovely story! Gentle, delicate, with a calm energy and carefully handled emotional moments."--Jessixa Bagley, award-winning creator of Boats for Papa and Laundry DayReview Quotes: After relocating, a child befriends a flock of ducks.
Moving somewhere new means making new pals--but "I've already made forty-one friends," our young narrator points out. While visiting a nearby park with Mama and little sister Madeleine, the protagonist bonds with a group of ducks: "Their quacks are hellos. Their waddles are waves. Their nibbles are noisy thank-yous." The child brings the ducks healthy snacks and pays special attention to Buttercup (who's lost many feathers) and Hoppity, who has an injured foot. Doehring's immersive illustrations, often spilling across spreads, show a park full of colors that change with the seasons. All the while, the child's confidence and attachment to these new friends strengthen. Madeleine tries to help but "is too little to do it right." Mama warns, "Soon, the ducks will move, like we did." Even after the child makes them a feast of all their favorite treats, the flock disappears one snowy morning, heading south for the winter. "Moving is hard," says Mama. "For ducks, for kids, even for grown-ups." But the narrator finds a willing playmate in Madeleine as Ramel and Doehring bring the narrative to a conclusion imbued with themes of resilience and friendship among those in one's own flock. Backmatter provides information on the story's inspiration, as well as information on what ducks can and can't eat. Human characters are beige-skinned.
A sweet tale about seeking out community where you least expect it.
--Kirkus Reviews