Duck, Death and the Tulip

Gr 3—6—When Duck finally notices that she is being followed by Death, she becomes frightened and inquisitive. Death patiently answers her questions, and the two speculate about the great beyond. What follows is the construct of a unique sort of friendship. However, this is not a book about friendship; it is a book about life's most pitiless inevitability. Eventually Duck feels the chill of a cool wind for the first time and, lying quite still, stops breathing. Death tenderly strokes her feathers, carries her to the great river, and gently sends her on her way. This book tackles a difficult subject with eloquent, yet unapologetic candor. The subject matter may frighten small children, and adults likely will take pause at the bluntness, but the story is heartwarming and incontrovertibly portrays Death with a compassionate personification. The surrealistic yet modest synthesis of collage and drawings is true to the simple elegance and poignancy of the text.—Debbie Lewis, Alachua County Library District, FL