With pencil illustrations and a storyline about the protection of ducklings, Boatyard Ducklings is bound to call to mind Robert McCloskey's classic Make Way for Ducklings. Far from being imitative, however, this tale of a little girl's love and care for young creatures has a magic all its own. Here author and illustrator Heather Austin memorably tells and beautifully pictures a true story about the young daughter of a Maine boatyard owner. When the girl discovers a mallard hen's nest in a dinghy, she is filled with delight. The girl befriends the duck and, when the young ones hatch, she becomes their protector.

By Heather Austin