Rebecca's Ducks.

Gregory Bryan is a member of the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.

In Angela Moore’s story Rebecca’s Ducks, we learn that seven-year-old Rebecca is crazy about ducks. Her clothes and her walls are decorated with images of ducks. When Rebecca and her parents move from Toronto to a small town in Newfoundland, one of Rebecca’s greatest regrets is leaving behind the pond ducks that she so enjoys feeding. What’s more, Rebecca’s disappointment at the move is magnified when she discovers that the pond at her new home houses no ducks. Rebecca, however, soon sets about remedying the situation.

Each double-page spread includes a colourful, decorative frame that adds to the visual appeal of the book. Nancy Keating’s lovely coloured-pencil illustrations are impressively detailed and realistic. The text occasionally includes some unnecessary details. That said, the book is simple and sweet. It will appeal to young children who, like Rebecca, enjoy family visits to local parks to feed the ducks. Recommended with reservations.