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Duck
The creator of Gator presents an enchanting follow-up about a carousel animal who longs to fly — and a love that is bigger than the skies.Duck is a carousel animal who longs to fly. She spends her days watching real, flying ducks, and her nights dreaming of soaring among them. Flying is all she can think about ... until a little lost duckling wanders into her life. Soon they are inseparable. But when Duckling’s yellow down is replaced by long white feathers, Duck is determined to do whatever she can to help him fly — even if it means being left behind.
40 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 12, 2008
3 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Randy Cecil
29 books38 followersRandy Cecil has illustrated many books for children, including LOOKING FOR A MOOSE by Phyllis Root, And HERE'S TO YOU! by David Elliott, He is also the author-illustrator of GATOR and DUCK. Randy Cecil lives in Houston.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
June 14, 2019
A wooden duck longs to fly in this sweet animal adventure, the second of Randy Cecil's tales - following upon
Gator
- to explore the lives of a group of carousel animals. Lying on the cobblestones and looking up at the stars, Duck dreams of taking wing, of approaching those twinkling lights. And then one day in Spring, a tiny yellow duckling appears, and Duck finds herself with something new to think about: how best to raise a Duckling. Can a wooden Duck teach a flesh-and-blood Duckling how to fly; and will she want to, when the consequences will prove so hurtful...?
I enjoyed Duck, with its poignant tale of love found, then lost, and then found again. The illustrations, which are done in oil paint, and which alternate between full-page spreads and partial page inserts, have a quirky charm that is very endearing. I particularly liked the contrast between the earthy tones used throughout, and the brighter colors of Duck's scarf. I don't know that my appreciation was strong enough to hunt down the first title, but should it ever come my way, I would definitely pick it up!
I enjoyed Duck, with its poignant tale of love found, then lost, and then found again. The illustrations, which are done in oil paint, and which alternate between full-page spreads and partial page inserts, have a quirky charm that is very endearing. I particularly liked the contrast between the earthy tones used throughout, and the brighter colors of Duck's scarf. I don't know that my appreciation was strong enough to hunt down the first title, but should it ever come my way, I would definitely pick it up!
July 7, 2010
What an odd but utterly charming premise! A carousel duck wishes she could fly. One day, a real duckling wanders up to her and she takes care of it. But, she can't teach it to fly. This is a beautiful and touching story about love and longing and making dreams come true--even if it doesn't happen in quite the way you'd planned. Yeah, this book just "got" to me--I was totally sniffling at the end.
December 2, 2025
Stop why did this have me tearing up..
April 7, 2016
This was such a sweet book! It is about a wooden duck who wants to fly. He takes care of a real baby duck but he needs to take baby duck to real ducks to teach him to fly. Duck is sad when baby duck flies south for the Winter. But of course, he comes back!
It was a really sweet book and I really like the story and the ending. My daughter liked the illustrations and loved pointing at the duck and saying "Quack" on every page. I was very happy I read this book to her. We'll probably pick it up again someday, and perhaps see if this author has any other books.
It was a really sweet book and I really like the story and the ending. My daughter liked the illustrations and loved pointing at the duck and saying "Quack" on every page. I was very happy I read this book to her. We'll probably pick it up again someday, and perhaps see if this author has any other books.
November 23, 2009
I may have been in a particularly sentimental mood when I first read this to my son but I'll admit it - I got choked up. Duck is a carousel animal who longs to fly. He meets a friend, duckling and the do everything together. Duck realizes that he must do everything he can to teach duckling to fly. There are some obvious parallels to parenthood. Randy Cecil has lovely illustrations and this is just a great book.
September 6, 2010
A cute story of a lonely carousel duck who wants to fly. He soon finds a new friend in a little lost duckling.
January 22, 2020
This is such a beautiful book. It made me cry the first time I read it.
February 21, 2018
Oh. My. Goodness. I was not prepared to love this book so much. It is such a sweet story about an amusement part carousel "wooden" duck that raises a real baby duck. She tries to teach him to fly, but can't because she has wooden wings. The baby duck takes off and heads South for the winter, leaving Duck behind. *Insert mommy tears* But then, Winter is over and baby duck comes home!
So. Darn. Cute! If you are looking for a good (potentially tear-jerking) book, this is the one that you have been searching your entire life for!
So. Darn. Cute! If you are looking for a good (potentially tear-jerking) book, this is the one that you have been searching your entire life for!
September 12, 2017
A wooden duck who can't fly lives on a carousel when the fair is running. She wished she could fly, and one day, she came across a duckling, and started to raise him. But she had to let Duckling go with other live ducks to learn how to fly. When Duckling came back, he took Duck flying.
This is an adorable story with beautiful illustrations about parenting, dreams coming true, and motherly love.
This is an adorable story with beautiful illustrations about parenting, dreams coming true, and motherly love.
June 8, 2018
Duck is an animal on a carousel, who spends his life watching the real ducks fly away, and dreaming to join them. One day he finds and raises a baby duckling until he flies away without him, leaving him alone again. But the duckling comes back and takes Duck for a ride, giving him the flight he has always dreamed of.
Such a sweet little book, and I loved the illustrations.
Such a sweet little book, and I loved the illustrations.
November 27, 2019
I adore this book, read it again and again. Its a powerful tale about connection, learning, letting those you love go, dealing with hardship, and remembrance. I also adored the scarf and how the author brought in a little fantasy but made me totally believe it. This book is epic in my eyes.
May 23, 2023
A carousel duck longs to fly like the real ducks she sees flying overhead. When a baby duckling wanders into the park, Duck befriends the little fellow. As the baby grows, Duck realizes she has to somehow teach it to fly even though she cannot herself.
Sweet story. Lovely illustrations.
Sweet story. Lovely illustrations.
January 12, 2018
Very sweet story. My library students loved this one.
January 23, 2018
SO CUTE. Definitely in the running for one of my favorite books this year
May 9, 2018
5/8/18 Read with Naomi & Julia.
March 13, 2019
boohoohoo
March 27, 2019
Depressing
August 15, 2022
Unselfish act and friendship. Cute picture book.
March 26, 2023
I’ve read this book to my son a few times already and it’s beautiful! I absolutely loved it!
May 14, 2023
picture book but why was it so sad
March 12, 2024
Very sweet.
October 19, 2024
Cute idea of a wooden duck’s dream.
September 21, 2025
Darling!
October 9, 2022
Modern Fantasy
Grades K-2
While reading this book, I fell in love with the sense of imagination the duck has about flying. I love how he allows his imagination to run. I also really loved the illustrations and how they told the story right alow with the words. One other thing I love is that this book is a perfect representation of trial and error. This is a great lesson for the students and with this, in mind, I feel as though I could bring this book out during the social-emotional learning moments.
Grades K-2
While reading this book, I fell in love with the sense of imagination the duck has about flying. I love how he allows his imagination to run. I also really loved the illustrations and how they told the story right alow with the words. One other thing I love is that this book is a perfect representation of trial and error. This is a great lesson for the students and with this, in mind, I feel as though I could bring this book out during the social-emotional learning moments.
February 26, 2008
If I had to sum up my carnival experiences in just one word, it would be “really not that good”. Not only am I not what you would call a “math person”, I am also not good at fair rides. Don’t even ask about my Gravitron experience in 4th grade. One ride I can handle is the merry-go-round. Or as it is known in “Duck”, the carousel. Potatoes, Po-tah-tos. Any way you look at it, Randy Cecil’s tale of a carousel fowl that dreams of flying is worthy of being given away as a dunk tank prize any day.
Duck would love to fly, but there is something getting in her way. Wood carvings are not usually created for successful takeoffs and landings. But dream she does until one day a wayward duckling wanders onto the scene. Duck and Duckling become fast friends, but the time soon comes for the youngster to re-join his family. Duck sets out to make the reunion a reality and is a bit too successful: duckling takes off without looking back. Now our heroine is 0 for 2: no friend, no flight. But Duckling doesn’t forget his pal, and he has an idea about how to make her dream come true.
Cecil’s oil illustrations are a great match for this touching story. I don’t like to throw that word around, but touching it is. “Duck” gives me more joy than a trip to the county fair.
Duck would love to fly, but there is something getting in her way. Wood carvings are not usually created for successful takeoffs and landings. But dream she does until one day a wayward duckling wanders onto the scene. Duck and Duckling become fast friends, but the time soon comes for the youngster to re-join his family. Duck sets out to make the reunion a reality and is a bit too successful: duckling takes off without looking back. Now our heroine is 0 for 2: no friend, no flight. But Duckling doesn’t forget his pal, and he has an idea about how to make her dream come true.
Cecil’s oil illustrations are a great match for this touching story. I don’t like to throw that word around, but touching it is. “Duck” gives me more joy than a trip to the county fair.
May 14, 2013
I have to admit that I choke up whenever I read Duck by Randy Cecil. This book tells the story of a carousel animal, a duck, that dreams of flying like other ducks.
One day, a small lost duckling walks up to Duck, thinking Duck is his mother. Duck takes the duckling under her wing and raises her. They laugh, plan and dream together. Duckling is growing up, and soon, Duck realizes that she will have to teach Duckling to fly. After trying everything she knows how to do, Duck finally straps Duckling to her back with her scarf. When they see ducks flying by, they jump off a hill, and Duckling flaps his wings. Duck realizes that she is weighing Duckling down. She loosens her scarf and falls to the ground, watching Duckling fly away with the other ducks.
The winter passes sadly for Duck. When spring comes, she no longer looks at the ducks flying, because flying took Duckling away from her. Then, she spots Duckling out of the corner of her eye. Duckling has returned. They laugh and play until Duckling takes duck onto his back and helps her to fly.
This is honestly such a sweet and touching book. Randy Cecil's drawings are fantastic and my young audiences love it.
One day, a small lost duckling walks up to Duck, thinking Duck is his mother. Duck takes the duckling under her wing and raises her. They laugh, plan and dream together. Duckling is growing up, and soon, Duck realizes that she will have to teach Duckling to fly. After trying everything she knows how to do, Duck finally straps Duckling to her back with her scarf. When they see ducks flying by, they jump off a hill, and Duckling flaps his wings. Duck realizes that she is weighing Duckling down. She loosens her scarf and falls to the ground, watching Duckling fly away with the other ducks.
The winter passes sadly for Duck. When spring comes, she no longer looks at the ducks flying, because flying took Duckling away from her. Then, she spots Duckling out of the corner of her eye. Duckling has returned. They laugh and play until Duckling takes duck onto his back and helps her to fly.
This is honestly such a sweet and touching book. Randy Cecil's drawings are fantastic and my young audiences love it.
Read
March 4, 2010A carousel duck and real duckling are best friends, until flying tears them apart.
With the use of borders and the incorporation of pages without borders, the illustrator found unique ways to show importance. Some pictures are focused into a circular shape, and those pictures typically aren’t the most main pointes. When the illustrator has a picture that takes up the whole page, it is clear that something important is going on. The use of borders really helps to show what things that the illustrator wants the reader to focus on. During the climax of the story, which happens to be at the end, almost all of the pictures take up the whole page. The pictures that take up the whole page are the pictures that the reader is going to pay more attention to, so it makes sense why those pictures go along with the important parts.
With the use of borders and the incorporation of pages without borders, the illustrator found unique ways to show importance. Some pictures are focused into a circular shape, and those pictures typically aren’t the most main pointes. When the illustrator has a picture that takes up the whole page, it is clear that something important is going on. The use of borders really helps to show what things that the illustrator wants the reader to focus on. During the climax of the story, which happens to be at the end, almost all of the pictures take up the whole page. The pictures that take up the whole page are the pictures that the reader is going to pay more attention to, so it makes sense why those pictures go along with the important parts.
August 28, 2009
An adorable book though much of the sentiment here will appeal more to an adult than a child, especially the way Duck must let Duckling go and try his wings. Then there’s the climactic moment when full-grown Duckling reappears; now it’s his turn to take Duck on his back and show him what flying is all about. Cecil’s varied design keeps visual interest. Some pictures are full page, some are round cameos in frames, and still others are impressive two-page spreads. The animals are charmers, and though the message may be lost on children, they will still respond to the warmth and love that the ducks feel for each other.
April 7, 2010
MY REVIEW:
Duck is a cute little tale of a wooden duck that is part of a merry-go-round but who longs to be fly - like the real ducks. A baby duck ends up finding him and Duck takes Duckling under his wing until it's time to fly south. This cute book is a little bit sad, a little bit playful, and a whole lot of imagination mixed together. While it doesn't have anything that stand out to be a really good book, it's also not a bad book. It's a simple little tale of a duck. The adorable illustrations add a tender touch to make it an enjoyable library book for children 2 to 6 years of age.
Duck is a cute little tale of a wooden duck that is part of a merry-go-round but who longs to be fly - like the real ducks. A baby duck ends up finding him and Duck takes Duckling under his wing until it's time to fly south. This cute book is a little bit sad, a little bit playful, and a whole lot of imagination mixed together. While it doesn't have anything that stand out to be a really good book, it's also not a bad book. It's a simple little tale of a duck. The adorable illustrations add a tender touch to make it an enjoyable library book for children 2 to 6 years of age.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews