I'm a Duck

PreS-Gr 1–When Duck was still an egg, he rolled out of the nest and into the pond. His frightened mother quickly saved him, but now that he's hatched into a duck, he's afraid to go into the water. With encouragement from his mom, brothers, and his friends Big Frog and Owl, Duck decides to use a puddle to practice swimming. There he splashes bravely day and night until, feeling scared but prepared, he dives into the pond! All the animals are delighted to see him come to the realization that as a duck, he's "perfectly designed" for swimming. "I do the backstroke. There are cheers/so loud they almost hurt my ears./The other ducks shout, "Way to go!"/as I'm backstroking to and fro." Any child hesitant to try something new will recognize themselves in the story of this young duck. Hillebrand's mixed media images beautifully depict the natural setting and enhance the delightful rhyming text. Simple, expressive animals of sizeable proportions are displayed against pastel backgrounds.