"Have you seen my duck, the one that lives here, I’m afraid he moved on with winter so near."
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Have You Seen My Duck? by Kevin McMurtrie Trafford Publishing
book review by Michael Radon
With bright, cartoony illustrations and a cleverly crafted rhyming scheme, this book is absolutely perfect for reading aloud to children. A boy who often comes to a pond to feed bread to a duck is distraught when there is no sign of his beloved friend. Fearing the worst, the boy begins to look around when several animals, including an otter, frog, snail, owl, and swan, draw the boy's attention to various clues as to the location of his duck. As he continues to observe the natural hints around him, the boy remains hopeful and comes closer to finding his feathered friend. When the two are reunited, they once again engage in their tradition of playing and eating.
In just a few pages, the author puts together a story comparable to many children's classics both in levity and imagination. The evolving scene of the busy pond is nicely illustrated and children will enjoy noticing the growing details as the book progresses. The rhyming prose is not difficult to understand for children and also does not come across as forced, holding the audience's attention and engaging them in the story. This is a book perfect for early classrooms or for story time between a parent and child. The concept is simple and lighthearted, the content is targeted and tailor-made for sharing a quick story at night or before a nap, and the execution takes everything to a higher level. This book would make a great addition to any young reader's library and has the right kind of positive attitude to make children enthusiastic about reading.
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