For the Love of Ducks
By Nicola Davies, Illustrated by Salvatore Rubbino
Candlewick Press, $15.99, 32 pages
Quack-quack-quack. Quack-quack. Imagine waking up each morning to the sound of quacking of ducks right outside your window. In her book Just Ducks!, author and zoologist Nicola Davies tells the story of a little girl living in the city who maintains daily contact with the natural world. From outside her bedroom window, she can see the river that flows through town. Ducks preen and splash in the sunlight. On her way to school, the girl sees ducks swimming and upending their bodies to reach food that’s underwater. Readers will find the main story in bigger font and more scientific facts and trivia are in littler font next to the illustrations. Davies has loved ducks for many years. As a little girl, she enjoyed visiting a local park to see the ducks swimming on the pond. Her first job was at a sanctuary protecting geese and ducks. Now young readers can find out just how fascinating our feathered friends can be. Salvatore Rubbino’s illustrations are sweet and make this book something to cherish. Each duck has its own unique characteristics, the little girl’s expressions are heartwarming and Rubbino captures details like the multicolored nature of mallard duck feathers. An index allows readers to look up duck-related terms and helps kids begin to understand basic research techniques.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Franklin
[amazon asin=0763659363&text=Buy On Amazon][amazon asin=0763659363&text=Buy On Amazon&template=carousel]