Quackadack Duck

Martha Lamon is a freelance writer and researcher based in Huntsville,
Ontario.

Allen Morgan’s interest in writing for children stems from his
experiences as a kindergarten teacher in Toronto in the mid- to late
1970s. Quackadack Duck, his most recent children’s book, is a humorous
and gentle tale about a selfish troll who doesn’t like anyone—even
himself. The only thing he likes is pennies, and he spends much of his
time stealing and counting them. Life changes for Troll when he crosses
paths with Quackadack Duck, who adopts Troll as his mother. Eventually,
Troll warms to the duck, but trouble starts when Trolls sneaks away one
night to do some mean things. Duck follows only to be snatched by the
poultry-store man. Only money (not tantrums) will persuade the man to
release the duck, so Troll has to decide whether to spend his precious
pennies to save Quackadack Duck. Troll finds that he actually has quite
a capacity for generosity, and the pair is reunited in an unexpected
way. They live happily ever after—for a while at least.

The characters in this lively tale are bold and animated, and the
colourful illustrations enhance their personalities. This affordable
paperback will be a welcome addition to any child’s library and is
appropriate at many stages of literacy development. Recommended.