The behaviors and characteristics of mallard ducks, who live near a city river, are carefully observed by another local resident--a young girl--who watches them from her bedroom and as she passes by on her way to and from school. Inviting mixed-media illustrations feature lots of green and brown and showcase the ducks in search of food and raising young in their urban habitat. Ind.

Mallard ducks catch the attention of an observant young narrator. Join in on her day's travels to learn a lot about these quacking creatures. Quacks appear in graduated type from large to small to begin this informational gem. The daily activities of a young girl propel the easy-flowing language full of ducky details. Perfectly placed additional facts in smaller and similar-in-tone text are included on each spread. These seamless complements serve to explain unfamiliar terms such as "preening," "dabbling" and "upending." While Davies' text gently informs, Rubbino's mixed-media illustrations, done in a subdued palette of watery greens, grays and browns, truly impress. Mama ducks, drakes and ducklings alike hold the focus as they nest, search for food, swim, splash and sleep. The loose and childlike pictures capture essential details: the "secret patch of blue on each wing" and the "cute little curl on their tails." At the end of the day (and book), readers find "The bridge is quiet, and there's just the sound of rushing water and the stillness of the night." But the page turn reveals another morning of "ducks--just ducks, down on the river that flows through the town." An ideal introduction to this familiar waterfowl--readers will enjoy diving right in. (index, note) (Informational picture book. 4-7)

In this nicely illustrated picture book, the reader gets more than beautifully detailed drawings and a little girl's story. The little girl tells about hearing and seeing ducks on and around the pond near her house. But in the subtext under, above, and around the duck pictures, readers will learn about ducks. Factual information is both separate from the story and part of the story. The narrator relates the differences in the ducks in different seasons and at different times of day. With careful reading, one learns about the pond behavior, mating, feeding, sleeping, and parenting habits of ducks. The illustrations' muted colors and the finely crafted font help to create an atmosphere that mimics the smooth progression of the ducks atop the water. This easy-to-read picture book can also be used as a source for basic research. This would be especially appropriate for young children who are eager for nonfiction books, but are not ready for heavy reading. Beverly Combs, Librarian, Parsons PreKindergarten School, Garland, Texas. RECOMMENDED

While there's much to be said for interactive, hands-on learning, Davies's (Talk, Talk, Squawk) young narrator builds an impressive body of knowledge about ducks simply by watching the birds that live on and around the river that runs through her town. She knows about their eating habits (there's "dabbling" and "upending"), their wooing and parenting ("I like it when a drake shows off his handsome feathers to the ducks, trying to get one to be his girlfriend"), even how they sleep-or not ("one night at choir practice, we heard them quacking softly outside the window as they ate worms off the lawn in the dark!"). The text, set in a beautiful typeface that recalls rippling water, is pitch-perfect throughout, enthusiastic and confident, knowing without becoming precocious (the girl's commentary is amplified with factual nuggets set in small type). Rubbino's (A Walk in London) watercolors, which range from closeup portraits to gorgeous waterscapes, combine a sketchbook immediacy and economy with an appreciation for the ducks' streamlined shape, handsome coloration, and placid and genial demeanor. Positively ducky all around. Ages 5-up. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Gr 1-3-In this charming and informative tribute to the ubiquitous duck, a small girl is fascinated by the noisy birds. Every morning, she is serenaded by the ducks "down on the river that flows through the town." She keeps an eye on the mallards as she gets ready for school and eats her breakfast. "The ducks take forever to eat theirs." Crossing the bridge to go to school, she watches them dabbling and upending as they search for food. In the afternoon, she stops to visit them with her mother. The girl explains how the ducks find their mates and build their nests. As she closes her curtains at bedtime, the bridge is quiet, but she knows that when she wakes, she'll be greeted by the quacking of the "ducks-just ducks, down on the river that flows through the town." The first-person narrative is accompanied by brief paragraphs of interesting facts. These asides are printed in a smaller font and are itemized in an index at the end. The mixed-media artwork adds a sweet, old-fashioned character to the story. Created in a palette of greens and browns, the illustrations reflect the peaceful setting of the natural habitat in which these birds live. Like Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings (Viking, 1941), this gentle picture book celebrates the wonder and awe nature can inspire in everyday life.-Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.