One Duck Book

Hazel Hutchins, the popular, award-winning author, has written a story about one man and one duck - not a nature-conquering scenario, but a tale of human compassion and caring for the creatures with whom we share the earth. Hazel tells the story in a soft, rhythmic style, matched perfectly by Ruth Ohi's illustrations. A farmer and father of four sets out to plow his field at dawn in early spring. He adds neat row to neat row, lost in his farmer's thoughts. On the ground, hidden perfectly in a down-lined hollow, a young duck has built her nest and is sitting on her warm eggs. She calmly observes the tractor, far away at first and then louder, closer, threatening her nest. Anxiously her eyes follow the advance of the tractor. Will she abandon her nest to save her own life? Will the farmer see her in time? Yes! At the very last moment he sees the duck, climbs down from his tractor, and carefully carries the nest containing the exposed eggs to a safe place nearby. The next day the family sees the mother duck waddling down to the pond, followed by twelve adorable, fuzzy ducklings, eager to learn to paddle and dive and enjoy duckling lives. This book, like Hazel and Ruth's earlier collaboration, "The Catfish Palace," models positive, caring behavior to pre-school children: the idea that small actions taken at the right time can make a big difference. Respect shown to animals generates self-respect. As in every Hazel and Ruth cooperative project, the artwork perfectly reflects the feeling and mood of the tale. Hazel Hutchins and Ruth Ohi together have created many popular children's picture books and pre-teen novels. This is the award-winning author's 21st title and the illustrator's 26th book, with number 27, "Ooo-cha!," to be published this fall. Ruth lives with her family in Toronto and Hazel with hers in Canmore, Alberta.Read More