Not Just Ducks

Since I was a child, I have loved ducks. Near my childhood home is a place we called "Duck Island." Mallards congregated there in all seasons, and we visited frequently to feed them. Now I see ducks in our yards, on the lake, flying overhead, and walking on the edge of the park. I always greet them. "Good morning, Mrs. Mallard." or "Hello, Mr. Mallard."

Reading a new book by Nicola Davies, entitled Just Ducks, I learned so much more about these common creature found in Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia. The book is narrated by a young girl who awakens to the quacking outside her curtains. Each of her daily activities is likened to something the ducks are doing, and appropriate facts are displayed to explain actions or terminology. The mixed media illustrations are subtle in tone and often whimsical in content (like when the ducklings climb a wall by using terra cotta pots as steps). The most interesting fact, I believe is that drakes quack quietly while females quack loudly to attract other ducks.