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Lillee is the last-hatched and least-sized duckling of her family, and these two circumstances help form her unique perspective. Her older siblings have already taken their natural place in the world -- like ducks take to water -- but poor Lillee is afraid to take her feet off dry land lest she surely drown. Her world view is a bit cracked, you see, due to a shell fragment Lillee sports as she might a low-brimmed hat. She apparently doesn't realize the shell is an optional accessory, for she accepts it as perfectly ordinary; as ordinary as not sharing her family's high regard for bodies of water. Independent Lillee opts for solitude in the "dark, green forest" instead of family dynamics in the pond, and ignores her mother's wise warnings about a dangerous character called "Furry-legs, Long-tail, Sharp-snout, Pink-tongue Fox."
Tension mounts as Lillee meets mysterious strangers who, one after another, voice concern about her lack of weight and give unsolicited dietary advice. Young readers and listeners will have already guessed the identity of the concerned (and hungry) strangers, but Lillee can't see past the end of her shell.
After some dramatic turns, Lillee's vision is ultimately restored, and she and her fully individuated duck personality take their rightful places in the world with no apologies or hard feelings towards anyone. Lillee is still Lillee, but now she swims and flies.
Charming watercolor illustrations in a storyboard format build the suspense bit by bit for solo readers or for groups at story hour. Wow! It's Great Being a Duck is a playful fable whose messages about self-acceptance, peer pressure, family values, and uniqueness are subtle and entirely entertaining. ¶
Joanna Brichetto reviews books with help from her three-year-old Maggie.
©1998, ProMotion, inc.
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