My Brother the Duck

by Pat Zietlow Miller, Daniel Wiseman (Illustrator)

A new sibling book with humor, heart, and a dash of the scientific process sure to delight young readers.

Is Stella's new baby brother a duck?
All the evidence seems to be pointing in that direction, but Stella knows that scientists can't just wing it. Further research is definitely required.

This sweet and silly book is just ducky for new siblings, fledgling scientists and anyone who loves a good laugh.

• Read-aloud books for children and siblings
• New baby gift for siblings
• Pat Zietlow Miller has published numerous children's books, including the critically acclaimed Be Kind.

Picture-book-reading new siblings who enjoyed The New Small Person, Little Miss Big Sis, and Julius Baby of the World will love the sweet and silly humor of My Brother the Duck.

• Children's books for ages 3–5
• New siblings, big sister books
• STEM principles

Pat Zietlow Miller is the is the award-winning picture book author of Be Kind, Sophie's Squash, Sharing the Bread, The Quickest Kid in Clarksville, and Wherever You Go, among others.

Daniel Wiseman is a growing presence in children's books, having illustrated a dozen books in the past three years.

Genres: Picture Books, Science, Family, Humor, Childrens, Storytime, Animals

40 pages, Hardcover

Published April 21, 2020

About the author

Pat Zietlow Miller knew she wanted to be a writer ever since her seventh-grade English teacher read her paper about square-dancing skirts out loud in class and said: “This is the first time anything a student has written has given me chills.” (Thanks, Mrs. Mueller! You rock!)

Pat started out as a newspaper reporter and wrote about everything from dartball and deer-hunting to diets and decoupage. Then, she joined an insurance company and edited its newsletter and magazine.

Now, she writes insurance information by day and children’s books by night. She has 11 picture books available and 12 more that will be coming out in the next few years.

Her books in print are: SOPHIE’S SQUASH, WHEREVER YOU GO, SHARING THE BREAD, THE QUICKEST KID IN CLARKSVILLE, SOPHIE'S SQUASH GO TO SCHOOL, WIDE-AWAKE BEAR, LORETTA'S GIFT, BE KIND, REMARKABLY YOU, MY BROTHER THE DUCK and WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE.

Pat has one wonderful husband, two delightful daughters and two pampered cats. She doesn’t watch much TV, but she does love "Chopped." Pat lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The empirical-minded Stella has her suspicions that her new baby brother is a duck. After all, her mother waddled a great deal when she was pregnant, and once her sibling is home, there are several signs, including his name, that seem to point to his being a duck. She does her research, observes the baby, and takes notes. She even enlists the help of a friend and asks her school principal for advice. After resolving that having a duck for a brother isn't all that bad, Stella returns home to find that he is less duck-like than she had originally thought. But someone else might fit the bill. The colorful digital illustrations work well for this sweet and amusing story while the text is funny and shows why she might have thought Drake, her brother, was a duck. I liked how Stella tries to follow the scientific method in her research and how this story is told from a child's perspective.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stella has a new baby brother...but is her brother human or...could he be...a duck? The evidence seems to point toward duck, with her brother's yellowish hue, bill-like appendage, and duckish squawk. Stells turns to her scientific-minded friend, Carla, to find out more.

Quite a fun little read.

[Shaye Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stella has a new baby brother, but she’s pretty sure he’s not your normal baby brother. Could he, by chance, be a baby duck? Stella immediately gets busy testing her hypothesis by asking questions and gathering data. The twist ending to this book will bring on a few giggles, for sure. By the way, if you’re short on print picture books at the moment, Amazon Prime members can access this title for free right now through the Prime Reading Library. The illustrations in this book were rendered digitally.

For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!

[Becky Loader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love science, and it is really fun to watch a little girl follow the scientific method to determine whether or not her new little brother is a duck.

*snicker* I loved the dad!

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stella is not excited about her baby brother. Something said by her father before her brother arrived started her thinking that her baby brother was actually a duck. But like a good scientist, she makes a hypothesis and starts to investigate. What I like about this book is the creative way it shows children misunderstanding something. But once it starts that, it doesn’t stop. So no real conclusion.

[ms. hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kiddos loved this book, and thought it was hilarious. Quite a few kids in my preschool class have young siblings, or siblings on the way, so this was a very funny way to get them to look at the situation! Thumbs up all around!

[Danielle Hammelef · Rating 4 out of 5]

With fun and bright illustrations, Stella will warm readers' hearts and engage their brains as she scientifically approaches being a new big sister. I enjoyed the word play which added humor.

[Eileen Winfrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stella Wells has a new baby brother...or he could be a duck. Further research is required. Charming! Sweetly humorous. An excellent choice to read-aloud.

[Maeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute! Think my son believes he will have a duck as a new brother now. :)

[Linda Patchett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a keeper, a must have for public and school libraries and a great storytime read. Little sister, Stella, is beginning to think that her brother, soon to be born, is a duck. Rightfully so. She overheard her dad tell her mom that she's waddling. "We must be having a duck." Wisely, Stella decides that research is needed to prove her hypothesis! Soon baby brother, Drake, comes home in a yellow blanket. He's fuzzy, squawks a lot, and has a very flat nose (pacifier in place). She consults her science experimenting friend, Carla, who tells her that a drake is a male duck but that she still needs more evidence. Saving the rest of the story for you first time readers. Loved and laughed through the read. At the end, the librarian and past science teacher in me just wanted to hug the book. There is wisdom underneath the humor which lovingly speaks to a young child's common response to literally interpret adult speech and actions. In her case, her parents! So clever to end the story on a twist which promotes the idea that curiosity for learning should continue and be promoted by adults - no matter the initial results of one's study! It's a fun way to introduce ducks in a preschool to K/1 NF unit on farm animals and an effective hook/engager to begin a second grade unit on doing experiments! Thank you, Pat Zietlow Miller for such a clever and heart warming tale and Daniel Wiseman, for your captivating graphics. Stella's and Carla's expressions are priceless and convey oodles of emotion. The racially diverse classroom is thoughtfully rendered through your artwork that depicts beyond the skin color, unique little personalities who are children first. I recommend this gem of a picture book to ages three through eight. Older siblings, second expectant adults, and adults of all ages will thoroughly enjoy reading this story to young ones. A heart tugging hoot and an excellent book gift choice.

[Sushie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Iggi's Storytime Criteria
Age group: Preschool+
Content: baby siblings, ducks, the scientific method
Plot: Stella's brother might just be a duck, but she must first collect evidence to decide if that's really true.
Wordiness: Medium-low
Length: Medium-short
Illustrations: Just the right amount of detailed for a scientifical mystery.
Page Gloss: Matte
Other: Eh, the science in this one is a bit mixed up for the sake of the joke and the joke isn't that funny imo.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun, slightly quirky-geek way to dive into the adventure a baby sibling brings!

This little girl doesn't know what to think. She thought she was getting a new baby brother, but when her parents walk in with a bundle of yellow, fluffy joy, and it squeaks and has the strangest nose/mouth, she's almost convinced it's a duck! After all, her mom was waddling around like a duck shortly before the birth, too. But this girl knows not to jump the creek too fast and does the only thing a proper scientist can—collect the evidence and facts before making a conclusion. But the more facts she collects, the stranger things become.

This is a little girl full of spunk, the kind that you can't help but want to play with...if you could. Her imagination is huge, and yet, she squiggles in her version of scientific logic along the way. She's not completely wrong, and that's what makes this tale giggle worthy. Her deductions and finds are true, while somehow, not quite hitting the mark. It's a delight to watch as she fiddle and fuddles and gets things right, too.

The illustrations are bright, bold and let the emotions fly. They provide the reality and back up the study material the little girl presents, while supporting the silliness of everything in a very down-to-earth way. But this isn't only about the humor. Bringing a new sibling into the house has caused this girl's world to turn upside-down. As her facts lead to an odd conclusion, the warming of her heart is adorable and makes the reader feel fuzzy inside. And this makes the ending...a surprise...even more enjoyable.

Summed up, this is a cute read, and not only for those dealing with a new sibling. It's a tale which will make everyone smile.

I received an ARC and found this book so much cuter than I thought I would.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own. It arrived in the midst of the craziness of the past month and somehow I missed this gem.
I’m very grateful to, and send a special thank you to @thebookmommy for posting this book and reminding me I wanted to write a review!

Oh how I love this book! I read it to my nephews and their mom and their aunt, and I think the adults liked it as much or even more than the kids! Here are some of the reasons why.

The vocabulary like fledgling scientist, research, waddling, evidence, scrawny and hypothesis, to just mention a few. These fun words give you lots of opportunities to pause and have a conversation with your little ones.
The colorful illustrations and the facial expressions add so much to the story. For example, when you look at the second picture, you immediately understand the dad’s stress and Stella’s seriousness.
The introduction of the scientific method
The diverse characters
Finally caregivers are going to have so much fun reading it and will find so many things to talk about, they won’t mind reading it at least a hundred times!

This book is available now and would make a great addition to your family’s library. It’s also the perfect gift for a family who will shortly be adding a new sibling.

[Flossmoor Public Library (IL) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Multiple staff reviews!

5 stars

I love this picture book so much! It is about a little girl who uses a simplified version of the scientific method to try to prove that her new baby brother is in fact, a duck. It is very clever and full of humor for readers that are more aware of the reality that baby humans cannot be ducks. It also has many discussion starters built into the plot. For example, this book can be used as a tool to introduce how scientists make new discoveries. It could also be used to teach children how to compare two different things. I highly recommend this book!

- Miss Emily

4 stars

This book is about a little girl named Stella who is absolutely and positively sure her new baby brother is a duck! She is an inspiring scientist so she has to figure out and prove this to be true. She conducts her hypothesis and collects her evidence with the help of her friend and her teacher. With a little twist at the end, you will know if her brother is a duck or not.

- Miss Jenny

[Charelle Shipman-Edmondson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cutest book EVER(I know I say that a lot)..but for real this time. This was both hilarious and "educational" if you will. Educational in the sense if you need a non-conventional science book to teach students the steps of the scientific method , then this might be a good one to start with. It explains it in a way that is easy to grasps, but so much straight facts. She went through every step to prove what she thought about her baby brother, and it was facts without being borderline non-fiction.

The cute part about the baby brother being a "duck" and the emotional appeal of how she thought about him was just the sweetest. Baby brothers can be overwhelming, but this book help to create a cute way for the reader to introduce the emotional aspects of gaining one, and what happens to siblings when they do gain new baby members to their family.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This lively latest offering from author Pat Zietlow Miller features an observant (and open-eared) older sister who splashes a loving dose of affection into her STEM-ish effort to prove that the latest addition to her family is, in fact, a duck. She sustains a scientific drive to "prove" her hypothesis while remaining alert to other possibilities. The punny word-play and artfully scattered evidences avoid any mic-drop simplicity or bottom line. Instead, the story holds layers of appeal at various stages and will encourage requests to "read it again".

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cute and fun book follows Stella as she follows the scientific method to determine that her new sibling is a duck. More story than science, this book would be a fun read even if you weren't trying to teach kids about the scientific method. Could be a great opportunity for elementary school teachers to discuss with their class what the scientific method is and how Stella got it wrong.

A good story for preschool and up, could be used to talk to a grade 2/3 class about science experiments.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stella is sure that the new baby is, in actuality, a duck. But being a budding scientist, she knows that she must gather evidence before she reaches a final conclusion. The name is Drake ... check! And boy can that kid quack! Check! But Stella decides she needs further evidence and calls on her friend, Carla Martinez. They continue to search for facts and even call on Principal Kowalski for expert analysis. Conclusion? Stella is related to a duck. But when he gets home, things look very different.

Cute

[Dawn Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is hilarious!!! The puns and double entendres and misunderstandings make My Brother the Duck a great read for kids and adults!!! I loved the illustrations, too. They add credibility to the confusion 😉
* Bonus: I really like the way Pat Zietlow Miller uses language in the story; always using "big" (and accurate) words which helps grow a child's vocabulary - science words like evidence, inconclusive, research.

[Aolund · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute and silly but midle-of-the-road picture book about Stella, new big sister and aspiring scientist, who attempts to use evidence to determine whether her little brother is actually a duck. Stella is white with red hair; her best friend and principal, both of whom she asks for help with her evidence gathering, have brown skin and black hair.

Themes: New sibling, STEM

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conflicted on this one in terms of the scientific process. It is about building up evidence in favor/against a hypothesis, but there's also some fitting things to the hypothesis and no underlying theory. I feel weird saying this about a silly, playful book! And I do think it would be useful for introducing some of the ideas.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big sister is convinced her new baby brother is a duck. But she is a scientist and she knows she must prove her theory with facts. She compares information she knows with info from books and her friends and school principal.

A funny story children will enjoy. Also a great example of part of the scientific method.

[Sarah Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I liked this book, I didn't necessarily love it. This book is about accepting change especially if you're an only child and your parents bring home a new sibling. It had good intentions with including science experiments to encapture the audience but I just didn't think this book was for me.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ha! I loved this funny demonstration of developing and testing a hypothesis. "Fledgling scientist" Stella believes her new baby brother just might be a duck so she puts her hypothesis to the text by gathering her facts.

Delightful fun with an underlying scientific lesson.

[Aliza Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stella’s hypothesis is that her baby brother is actually a duck! Humor, clever word play, girls in STEM, vibrant illustrations, and a totally original concept make Pat Zietlow Miller’s newest book a winner for kids!

[Dina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique approach to tie in siblings and science at the same time! I liked this book and can see it as a read aloud. Humor, beautiful illustrations, STEM tie-in, and a diverse set of characters can all be found in this book. Definitely recommend it!

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silly, funny book about a young budding scientist who is convinced her new baby brother is a duck. Cute illustrations and a unique premise.

Veg*n parents note: Very brief fishing scene in which our hero is imagining the things she can do as her brother, the duck, grows up.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific, and very funny, new sibling book. The main character, Stella, a fledging scientist, is convinced her new baby brother is a Duck. She gathers evidence, such as the fact that his name, Drake, means baby duck.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stella suspects her baby brother is a duck and sets out to prove it. She consults books, a brainy friend, and the school principal.
This book employs whimsical illustrations, humor and wordplay which make it fun. These elements may also be over the heads of the target audience.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darling book with a darling main character. Such a clever story about the girl's confusion over a new sibling. Great introduction to scientific principals for young readers. It's not didactic or hit-you-over-the head, but is instead presented logically and cleverly. Great book!