The Wounded Duck
by Peter Barnhart with illustrations by Adrienne Adams/ published 1979 by Charles Scribner's Sons
I think I've finally discovered the most depressing children's book of all time. This title has been hanging around our house for a while but this morning was actually our first read through. By the end, I was balling and my son was having to comfort me, "Don't cry Momma. It's gonna be OK." What a moving book about death and what it means to love someone, even if that someone is a duck. Depressing, but still pretty great story all the same.
Suddenly there was a dizzy feeling in her head and her heart jumped, like a bird taking flight. Her eyes closed. She leaned back in the rocker and began singing softly to herself.
"Oh, the lord loves the duck,
And the duck loves..."
The words stopped and so did the beating of her heart. A smile appeared upon her lips and she went to sleep. It was the sleep of great peace that lasts forever.
A great way to open up the inevitably conversation we all must eventually face. I dare you not to weep for this one.
Also by:
The Day We Saw the Sun Come Up
Mr. Biddle and the Birds
A Woggle of Witches
The Easter Egg Artists
Butterfly Time
Ponies of Mykillengi
7 comments:
My friend and I are crazy about the illustration you show here. I would love to see more! What a sweet sight you and your son must have been!
Reading through the words of that book--I would have been crying too!
Yikes, that illustration and the few lines alone make me teary!
buckets my friends. buckets.
I have that book! I love it but it is sad.
this is great, thank you very much for the memories :-)
I read this book to my nephew about 30 years ago and by the time I finished I was laughing so hard I couldn't speak! Not tat ll what I expected from a children's book. A classic in our family lore.
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