Farmer Duck

In this 25th-anniversary edition of Farmer Duck, a new generation of young readers can meet a weary duck—one who does all the work on the farm while the actual human farmer lies lazy in his bed and shouts “how goes the work?” intermittently from the window. The duck is diligent and uncomplaining, but readers and the other farm animals know that something is not quite right when one person does all the work and another does none. This story teaches children about fairness and sharing chores, all with a bit of humor near the end as the farm animals determine to teach the farmer a lesson. As another charming touch, the animals do not speak English but rather make their respective animal sounds—“quack,” “moo,” “cluck,” and so forth—a somewhat unique approach in children’s literature. The illustrations are evocative, a bit dark in color, which fits the slightly unhappy tone of the opening of the story and also conjures the grittiness of farm life. Farmer Duck is an excellent choice for parents and children to read and discuss together.