The Digger and the Duckling

The Digger #2

by Joseph Kuefler

From the acclaimed author-illustrator Joseph Kuefler comes a companion to his popular picture book The Digger and the Flower. Perfect for fans of Peter Brown’s The Curious Garden and Kadir Nelson’s If You Plant a Seed, as well as readers who love the machines in Sherri Duskey Rinker’s Construction Site series.

Digger and the other big trucks love to build.

But when a lost duckling waddles onto the jobsite, Digger and his friends learn to do more than just scoop and hoist and push . . . They learn to become a family.

Share this beautiful picture book as a great introduction to taking care of the environment.

Genres: Picture Books, Construction, Childrens, Family, Animals, Fiction, Storytime

48 pages, Hardcover

First published February 15, 2022

About the author

Joseph Kuefler is the author-illustrator of The Digger and the Flower, Beyond the Pond, Rulers of the Playground, and Pillow Places as well as the illustrator of The night Is for Darkness by Jonathan Stutzman. He lives in Minnesota with his wife and children.

Reviews

[Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s fine. I definitely didn’t shed a tear as I read this book. the Digger and the Duckling is a beautiful story of how a duckling waffles it’s way into the hearts of a fleet of construction trucks. Filled with fun illustrations and wonderful words, this book is sure to give the feels.

[Lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

found family trope: but with a duckling and some construction trucks. — i am not ashamed to admit that i cried a little. at work. in public. this book was an emotional roller coaster.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

You may not like this if you insist on the proper name of a digger.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

D’ya ever finish a book and want to hug it afterwards? That’s this book. I wasn’t expecting it to be so sweet. I really loved it! (And full disclosure; I really did hug it.)

[Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite in the series!

[Clive]

“Can we read it again??”
“….”

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

sweet story about a lost duckling that joins a crew of construction vehicles. the duckling can't find his mother, so he stays with the working crew and helps them with their jobs. the trucks don't like him at first, but then they care for him very much. he grows up and flies south for the winter, but then he returns. i like the artwork too. bonus points because there is a pink and a purple construction truck.

[mommy_and_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mój synek uwielbia tą książkę. Przepiękna twarda oprawa. Od razu wiedział, że to jest dla niego. Książka zawiera piękne ilustracje. Liczyliśmy wielkie maszyny, oglądaliśmy co w danym momencie robiła kaczuszka. Synkowi bardzo podobało się zachowanie żółtej koparki, była miła i uczynna nie to co inne maszyny. Na początku synuś był przerażony. Bardzo bał się o małą kaczuszkę. Większość maszyn na samym początku jej nie polubiła. Wręcz chcieli się jej pozbyć. Czy coś się zmieniło? Dodam tylko, że na końcu poleciały nam łezki. Pytanie czy ze szczęścia, czy nieszczęścia? Poczytajcie co z kaczuszką zrobił wiatr. Będziecie przerażeni. Czy możliwa jest przyjaźń ogromnych maszyn z malutką kaczuszką?
Jeżeli jesteście ciekawi przygód żółtej koparki i kaczuszki to koniecznie przeczytajcie tą książkę.
Drogi rodzicu – zastanawiasz się nad prezentem dla swojego dziecka to dobrze trafiłeś. Zachęcamy ciebie do przeczytania tej historii twojemu dziecku. Spędzicie razem miło czas i dodatkowo się czegoś nauczycie. Nie liczy się wielkość, lecz jakość. Mój synek dowiedział się z tej historii, że nie należy patrzeć na wszystkich z góry i że warto pomagać innym.
Książka została napisana idealnym i prostym językiem takim, który bezpośrednio trafi do serduszka i główki twojego dziecka. Po przeczytaniu zachęcam do zadawania pytań dziecku, np. Co zrobiła koparka? Czy inne maszyny zachowały się poprawnie w stosunku do kaczuszki? Co się stało z kaczuszką? O czym była ta historia? W ten sposób uczymy nasze dzieci uważnego słuchania i skupiania się na treści książki. Później możecie zamienić się rolami i dziecko może zadać wam pytania dotyczące tej książki.

Z czystym sercem polecamy „Koparkę i kaczuszkę” oraz "Koparkę i kwiat" #mommy_and_books i syn.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The big construction machines are very busy working on the site, but when a small duckling arrives, it's trouble for everyone. Everyone except Digger, who tells the other truck that the ducking is probably looking for its mother. Now, the Duckling is following Digger. When the other ducks complain, Digger and Squirt (the water truck) get an idea to keep her out of the way. But after many days, with the dicking helping everyone, and no mother duck coming to claim her, the trucks make her part of the crew. But when a big storm comes to the site, the trucks can't protect her anymore, and the wind might just blow her away.

I loved all the trucks and their gruff attitudes. The illustrations were great - the tiny duckling first in the way, then helping! It was so cute. A nice length for a read-aloud or a bedtime story.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Youngsters, especially boys, will enjoy this story about big machines, the digger being one of these. They go about their work clearing, building, hoisting until a lost baby duck happens into their work space. The debate is on about what to do with the duckling. After arguing they decide to make the duckling comfortable in their area. Eventually, the duckling grows up and flies away. But then she returns, with a mate. This is an endearing story of how even the biggest and toughest can have a soft spot in their hearts. This title is a follow-on to The Digger and the Flower by the same author.

[Miss Pippi the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Digger and the Duckling is a wonderful follow up to The Digger and the Flower. Instead of preserving a flower, Digger and friends preserve a duckling who grows into a duck. A great Spring story with the arrival of ducklings and construction to many parts of the area.

2022 storytime theme: Heckrodt Spring Story Walk

Reviewed from a library copy.

[Meagan Myhren-Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book in which a construction crew of trucks and earthmovers adopt and care for a lost duckling.
Not as simple as it sounds as the various vehicles have to accept the duckling and her daily route into their day. At first, she causes issues with their work, and they consider her a nuisance and trouble, all except Digger. Each day another vehicle falls under the cute duckling's spell and accepts her into their"crew."

Drawings are colorful but not too busy and well suited to the story.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This charming little book about a group of mighty machines slowly being won over by, and eventually adopting, a baby duckling is so sweet. It's always nice to see books that emphasize that it's OK to like tough things like trucks and construction work and still be gentle and caring toward those smaller and weaker than us--and that includes animals. That's a message that growing kids, especially little boys in our culture, need to hear.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Age: Preschool-kindergarten
Animal: Duck
Things that go: Construction

A group of big construction vehicles are annoyed by the presence of a lost, pesky duckling until Digger shows compassion towards her and takes her under his wing/scoop. As she stayed around and learned to do different construction tasks, the trucks dropped their misgivings and welcomed her into the family.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor baby duckling is lost! Most of the big machines think she is a pest but not Digger! Doing their best to find mama duck, they take duckling here and there. But no mama duck appears so the big machines - eventually won over by her cuteness - take care of her through the summer. A sweet and funny story - perfect for spring story times!

[Maeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a lost duckling waddles into a jobsite, the only machine interested in caring for her is Digger. As the job progresses, the other machines begin to grow fond of Duckling. When Duckling is old enough, she flies away...but returns with a mate and her own little ducklings.

A cute story about family.

Storytime:
Construction
Family

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really sweet story about family. The construction vehicles on the jobsite start out feeling annoyed with the duck that keeps hanging around, but Digger adopts her and the other vehicles begin to care for her as well. The ending is predictable but charming, and I appreciate the underlying messages about found family and kindness from unexpected sources.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annnnnd… sold! The Digger and the Duckling had me at “ that duckling is pooing on my polish” and kept me straight through that perfect ending.

Now to decide exactly how many copies of this new picture book I will need to order…

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly touching story that portrays found family and a parents need to let their child go. The book is illustrated in a refreshing pop art style rarely seen in picture books. The poignant message will resonant with parents but kids will just like the idea of having a family of trucks!

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

You never know where your family will come from. A little duckling wanders into a jobsite. The digger, despite all the protests of all the other machinery, is kind to the duckling and makes room for it to live at the jobsite.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Digger and the other trucks are back. This time they nurture a duckling until it is ready to fly off and be safe. Readers see how first Digger and then the other trucks accept Duckling and take care of him.
Sweet ending.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

A duckling shows up at the construction site.
Most of the machines aren't happy and think that the duckling is a nuisance.
The Digger stands up for the duckling. Squirt helps make a pond.
They end up all learning to love the duckling, who grows up and eventually flies away.

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet construction-vehicle centered take on Are You My Mother?.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The anthropomorphic construction machines are distressed when a duckling interferes with their tasks, but they come to accept her as one of their own. Even when the duckling grows and must leave, the bond continues. A story for prompting discussion of what makes a family.

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine, but it read like Are You My Mother? meets Duck at the Door, and didn't feel like it added a whole lot to the "raised by a different family" cute picture book trope. My five year old quite enjoyed it (and he's the target audience, so nothing wrong there!); I thought it was just ok.

[Jenny GB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book about a bunch of work vehicles coming to love a duckling. It’s a great mix of typically “boy” and “girl” topics for books all mixed together into a beautiful little story about creating a family and love.

[Jeretta Hall-Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The digger books are so cute! And this one really tugs at your heartstrings. Watching the Little Duckling grow up and the whole construction crew be her family was so sweet. But then you feel the emotions of the Duckling leaving and eventually coming back. A great book!

[Thomas Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was quite pleasantly surprised with this book. The cover doesn't do it justice. But by the end I loved the illustrations, and I loved the big trucks. I especially loved it when they quacked - made my day. :-)

[Aragon Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

Construction vehicle friends & their time w a little duck...

Story = cute but we like "Digger & The Butterfly" better

Illustration = LOVE! The colors are great & the style is lovely too. Really enjoyed the pictures.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute and simple picture book about a backhoe named Digger and his crew of anthropomorphic construction site vehicles who encounter sweet baby Duckling in their construction site. Digger and friends must decide what to do with such a small and vulnerable creature.