One Duck

by Hazel Hutchins

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. 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. Will she abandon her nest to save her own life? Will the farmer see her in time?

This book models positive, caring behavior to preschool 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.

Genres: Picture Books

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Born and raised in southern Alberta, Hazel is the author of over forty books for children. Her work covers a wide age range – from picture books for the youngest set to novels for older grades – and delights in enterprising characters, interesting facts, gentle humour and the natural warmth of friendship and family. A popular presenter at schools and libraries across Canada, Hazel's books are also found in translation in many corners of the world.

Reviews

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suspenseful, but it had a good ending.

[Jo ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A farmer and father of four, hurries out to plow the fields before the rain comes. In the field is a duck sitting on her nest of 12 eggs. Great build up of suspense. As the tractor gets closer and closer, will the duck abandon her nest and seek safety? Will the farmer see the duck and her nest in time and stop?

Rhythmic and poetic text accompanied by beautiful watercolours. I loved the idea of this story, more than the actual story. The writing is beautiful, but the sentences had sort of a disjointed flow to them. Any book that teaches children to have compassion for animals is an automatic win though!