The "Unique" Duckling

Duckie Duck

Written by Kate Toms

Published by Castle Steet Press

Copyright 2008

24 Pages

Fiction

 

This book immediately struck my interest. The title reminded me of one of my favorite childhood stories, The Ugly Duckling. It turns out that this story was similar to The Ugly Duckling, and it was still very amusing.  Duckie is the name of the little duck that the story is written about. From the start of the story to the end, the writer makes it quite clear that Duckie is not like all of the other ducks. The central theme of this story is repeated constantly and I think that it’s great for younger children to know that being them selves is so important. They should always be who they are, and if that’s different then it’s perfectly okay. Through a series of comparisons between Duckie and his friends, the writer sets Duckie apart. He doesn’t like to swim or fly. He doesn’t even like to quack, so he whistles. I’m glad Duckie was always the outcast, kind of like The Ugly Duckling.

The images in this book are imitation of sewed fabric. The pages are full of seams that make the picture look like cloth put together to make all sorts of shapes and animals.  The text is just as creative as the pictures. It takes the form of many different colors and fonts.

            This book would be extremely effective in most grades, specifically lower elementary. The storyline and vocabulary is simple and entertaining. The bright colors all across the pages will grasp the attention of a young child. This book would be great to use in classrooms with students of extreme differences. The students could write about the way they feel as if they are different. They can explain why they think they stick out, and discuss why it is a great thing to be unique. Duckie Duck is not an award winning book.