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Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash
From New York Times bestselling creators—Emmy Award–winning actor Henry Winkler, children’s book author Lin Oliver, and Caldecott Medal–winning author-illustrator Dan Santat—comes Detective The Case of the Strange Splash, a hilarious, full-color chapter book adventure.
Willow Feathers McBeaver, aka Detective Duck, is a crime-solving (and very precocious) little duck. She and her animal pals live on beautiful Dogwood Pond, which is adjacent to Lazy Days, a human campground in New England. A pristine spot with clear water, abundant wildlife, and shady willow trees, Dogwood Pond is encountering puzzling problems—mysteries that arise from human-caused disruptions in nature such as water pollution, garbage, warming climate, and human encroachment.
Fortunately, Detective Duck is on the job, solving these puzzling mysteries before they get out of hand and destroy their habitat! Armed with her ever-present satchel for collecting clues, her logical mind, and endless curiosity, she boldly goes where no pond creature has before, determined to unravel the mysteries and solve any environmental problem that besets her beloved Dogwood Pond!
Willow Feathers McBeaver, aka Detective Duck, is a crime-solving (and very precocious) little duck. She and her animal pals live on beautiful Dogwood Pond, which is adjacent to Lazy Days, a human campground in New England. A pristine spot with clear water, abundant wildlife, and shady willow trees, Dogwood Pond is encountering puzzling problems—mysteries that arise from human-caused disruptions in nature such as water pollution, garbage, warming climate, and human encroachment.
Fortunately, Detective Duck is on the job, solving these puzzling mysteries before they get out of hand and destroy their habitat! Armed with her ever-present satchel for collecting clues, her logical mind, and endless curiosity, she boldly goes where no pond creature has before, determined to unravel the mysteries and solve any environmental problem that besets her beloved Dogwood Pond!
80 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 17, 2023
26 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
About the author
Henry Winkler
120 books561 followersHenry Winkler is instantly recognizable and admired by audiences of all ages for his role as the Fonz on the long-running series, Happy Days. In addition, he is an award-winning producer and director of family and children's programming. He is also the author of the critically-acclaimed Hank Zipzer series, which follows the everyday adventures of a bright boy with learning challenges.
Mr. Winkler has also continued his acting career on the big screen, including a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Nightshift, a starring role in the box-office hit Scream, and co-starring roles in The Water Boy, and Holes. On television, he has guest-starred on ABC's The Practice and NBC's Law & Order: SVU. He recently starred on Broadway for nine months in Neil Simon's play The Dinner Party.
Mr. Winkler is deeply committed to children's welfare and works with numerous children's groups. He is involved with The MacLaren Children's Center (a facility for abused children), The National Committee for Arts for the Handicapped, The Special Olympics, and The Los Angeles Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival, as well as numerous teenage alcohol and drug abuse programs. He is a founding member of the Children's Action Network, a non-profit organization that sponsors informational briefings for writers, producers and directors on children's issues and serves as a clearing-house for the entertainment industry on children's issues.
Mr. Winkler has also continued his acting career on the big screen, including a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Nightshift, a starring role in the box-office hit Scream, and co-starring roles in The Water Boy, and Holes. On television, he has guest-starred on ABC's The Practice and NBC's Law & Order: SVU. He recently starred on Broadway for nine months in Neil Simon's play The Dinner Party.
Mr. Winkler is deeply committed to children's welfare and works with numerous children's groups. He is involved with The MacLaren Children's Center (a facility for abused children), The National Committee for Arts for the Handicapped, The Special Olympics, and The Los Angeles Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival, as well as numerous teenage alcohol and drug abuse programs. He is a founding member of the Children's Action Network, a non-profit organization that sponsors informational briefings for writers, producers and directors on children's issues and serves as a clearing-house for the entertainment industry on children's issues.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
July 29, 2024
I had not idea that Henry Winkler wrote childrens books [in this case with Lin Oliver] until I saw book two of this series [and immediately requested] on NetGalley. Turns out, he's written many books and I think that is just awesome [the Fonz writing kids books; who knew?] I was lucky enough to get this first book from the library and what a fun, educational [without your little realizing they are learning/being taught], colorfully illustrated [the by the amazing Dan Santat] book about friendship, working together, and the lesson of just because one is small does not mean one cannot do huge things.
Very well done!! Really looking forward to book 2.
January 3, 2024
My five year daughter loved this read aloud! With illustrations on every page there was something to look at while I read the text! Looking forward to more adventures with Willow
September 7, 2023
Willow Feathers McBeaver is a little duck with a big dream: she wants to be a detective when she grows up. She is only accidentally and temporarily discouraged; otherwise it is only encouragement from the beginning. I like how her father highlights a specific quality of hers instead of a generic ‘you can do anything’ kind of response. Beaver McBeaver tells her, “your curiosity will come in very handy.”
Willow’s curiosity does come in handy, as does her many friends. Her best friend is Sal, a salamander who can read. It is Sal who says “You can do anything you want.” But Willow thinks to herself, “It’s easy to say you can do whatever you want, but it’s hard to it.” And the story will eventually revisit that idea. The message is that oftentimes we need help to carry out our “want” or plan. For one, you can’t have a mystery without an event, and one comes in the form of a dramatic action scene: a truck tire rolling right for Willow!
Sal thinks the tire that has crashed into the pond is a UFO, and it does look like the one in the comics he collects. Flitter, the dragonfly, believes a dragon is involved and while scouting the area at Willow’s request, finds a big red metal dragon. It is Willow who pauses and demonstrates some critical thinking, “Let me think over the clues.” A few well thought out questions debunk the dragon and identify the metal red thing for what it is: a truck. A truck has tires.
Willow solves the Mystery of what is in the pond. But that isn’t the end of her Detective work, “Willow knew this was her chance to be a real detective. That rubber tire was polluting her beautiful home. It was up to her to find a way to get rid of it.” Willow assesses her resources--objects she’s collected that are seemingly useless. But Willow will find a use for not only those objects, she will call upon members of the community and troubleshoot a solution as they attempt to remove the tire.
One of the best things about Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash is Willow’s depiction as a small girl duck taking center stage in the effort to solve and resolve what becomes a rescue of not only pollution but an imperiled lily pad café. Not all of Willow’s ideas work, but she problem solves as they try, making adjustments where needed. The other animals respond to her in all positivity and trust. She’s a little girl boss and no one is calling her bossy or complains that she’s taken charge. She is physically present, tying knots, demonstrating great aim with rubber bands and pink bouncy balls, and carving letters in the dirt.
Other things young readers will find appealing: stinky things, ridiculous dad-level jokes, silly names, responsive grown-ups and Dan Santat’s illustrations. Every page of text has an illustration to accompany it, all full of Santat’s characteristic charm and energy. The font, it’s size and the spacing is early (but not emerging) reader friendly and the story engaging enough for the older reader to help or to read aloud repeatedly. With this being a Winkler & Oliver project, they’ve thought through dyslexia-friendly fonts and understands the need for high-interest content. A child can take it a chapter at a time, the authors leaving each chapter on a cliff-hanger that will compel the reader to continue on. Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash is a funny, action-packed read with situations children are interested in. In this short chapter book we get: family; friends; bullies; boundaries; validation; belonging; being heard, believed and entrusted; we get random object collections; food; poop jokes; old folks with stinky breath or oddly-timed jokes; and the empowerment to solve big problems--and not get it perfect the first time.
Willow Feathers and friends started rescuing the Pond before they knew the extent to which it had been imperiled (the lily pad café); they just knew everyone who resided there would benefit from their intervention. They were right. Of the many nice messages Winkler & Oliver dispense within these pages, Willow’s boldness and the community’s proactiveness are among my favorites.
Winkler & Oliver are quick and efficient in their world-building and characterizations, laying the groundwork for what should prove to be a charming and inspiring series. Everyone listed on the cover has proven themselves as successful storytellers for young children—and book one is evidence enough that this will be a winning series for a broad audience. I can easily recommend Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash for more than just our young detectives and environmentalists. This series has an opportunity to encourage and inspire, not just ‘small ducks with big dreams,’ but their relatives, classmates, and neighbors into recognizing them, delighting in them, and helping them.
The review copy I had was an ebook and in black & white. The actual book promises to be full-color and I imagine they’ll be in the vein of two other incredible creative pairings: Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham’s Princess in Black series; Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen’s Mercy Watson series.
Willow’s curiosity does come in handy, as does her many friends. Her best friend is Sal, a salamander who can read. It is Sal who says “You can do anything you want.” But Willow thinks to herself, “It’s easy to say you can do whatever you want, but it’s hard to it.” And the story will eventually revisit that idea. The message is that oftentimes we need help to carry out our “want” or plan. For one, you can’t have a mystery without an event, and one comes in the form of a dramatic action scene: a truck tire rolling right for Willow!
Sal thinks the tire that has crashed into the pond is a UFO, and it does look like the one in the comics he collects. Flitter, the dragonfly, believes a dragon is involved and while scouting the area at Willow’s request, finds a big red metal dragon. It is Willow who pauses and demonstrates some critical thinking, “Let me think over the clues.” A few well thought out questions debunk the dragon and identify the metal red thing for what it is: a truck. A truck has tires.
Willow solves the Mystery of what is in the pond. But that isn’t the end of her Detective work, “Willow knew this was her chance to be a real detective. That rubber tire was polluting her beautiful home. It was up to her to find a way to get rid of it.” Willow assesses her resources--objects she’s collected that are seemingly useless. But Willow will find a use for not only those objects, she will call upon members of the community and troubleshoot a solution as they attempt to remove the tire.
One of the best things about Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash is Willow’s depiction as a small girl duck taking center stage in the effort to solve and resolve what becomes a rescue of not only pollution but an imperiled lily pad café. Not all of Willow’s ideas work, but she problem solves as they try, making adjustments where needed. The other animals respond to her in all positivity and trust. She’s a little girl boss and no one is calling her bossy or complains that she’s taken charge. She is physically present, tying knots, demonstrating great aim with rubber bands and pink bouncy balls, and carving letters in the dirt.
Other things young readers will find appealing: stinky things, ridiculous dad-level jokes, silly names, responsive grown-ups and Dan Santat’s illustrations. Every page of text has an illustration to accompany it, all full of Santat’s characteristic charm and energy. The font, it’s size and the spacing is early (but not emerging) reader friendly and the story engaging enough for the older reader to help or to read aloud repeatedly. With this being a Winkler & Oliver project, they’ve thought through dyslexia-friendly fonts and understands the need for high-interest content. A child can take it a chapter at a time, the authors leaving each chapter on a cliff-hanger that will compel the reader to continue on. Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash is a funny, action-packed read with situations children are interested in. In this short chapter book we get: family; friends; bullies; boundaries; validation; belonging; being heard, believed and entrusted; we get random object collections; food; poop jokes; old folks with stinky breath or oddly-timed jokes; and the empowerment to solve big problems--and not get it perfect the first time.
Willow Feathers and friends started rescuing the Pond before they knew the extent to which it had been imperiled (the lily pad café); they just knew everyone who resided there would benefit from their intervention. They were right. Of the many nice messages Winkler & Oliver dispense within these pages, Willow’s boldness and the community’s proactiveness are among my favorites.
Winkler & Oliver are quick and efficient in their world-building and characterizations, laying the groundwork for what should prove to be a charming and inspiring series. Everyone listed on the cover has proven themselves as successful storytellers for young children—and book one is evidence enough that this will be a winning series for a broad audience. I can easily recommend Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash for more than just our young detectives and environmentalists. This series has an opportunity to encourage and inspire, not just ‘small ducks with big dreams,’ but their relatives, classmates, and neighbors into recognizing them, delighting in them, and helping them.
The review copy I had was an ebook and in black & white. The actual book promises to be full-color and I imagine they’ll be in the vein of two other incredible creative pairings: Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham’s Princess in Black series; Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen’s Mercy Watson series.
September 9, 2025
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I picked up this book, the first in a series written by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver. No, there is no typo in this review, as it is the same Mr. Winkler many of you may know from the television show Happy Days, and this is surprisingly not the first time the “Fonz” has worked with Ms. Oliver to write a book. After doing some online research, and reading over the Acknowledgements page at the back of this story, it was interesting to find out that their collaboration has been going on for two decades!
Now that I have that aside, onto the plot…
Willow Feathers, a curious little duckling, is being raised by her father, a beaver, in Dogwood Pond, and dreams about becoming a detective someday. On the lookout for a mystery to solve, she soon meets a puzzling challenge when a large, black object lands smack-dab in their pond and disturbs Harry the catfish from where he had been resting. Sal the salamander suspects that it is an alien spaceship carrying one-eyed aliens that will eat them all, just like in the comic books he reads from a nearby campground. But when Willow begins to investigate the object further, she discovers the truth about the item with the help of her friends. Together, they work at removing the mysterious object from their home as they learn what large impacts a small act can do.
The illustrations and quality of the book are worth mentioning as a bonus to the storyline, which is also well-written and incorporates some older sayings I can picture Mr. Winkler speaking. I found the message of environmental mindfulness to be one that is not shoved onto the reader, but is still a part of the plotline in a meaningful way. As I read the book, I could not stop myself from saying “Swiper, no swiping,” from Dora as a similar occurrence happens with a not-so-beloved weasel throughout the story. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes animal stories, themes of overcoming obstacles, and a message of continuing to follow your dreams, even when the road gets a little tough. It would also be a great gift or a donation to a Little Free Library.
Now that I have that aside, onto the plot…
Willow Feathers, a curious little duckling, is being raised by her father, a beaver, in Dogwood Pond, and dreams about becoming a detective someday. On the lookout for a mystery to solve, she soon meets a puzzling challenge when a large, black object lands smack-dab in their pond and disturbs Harry the catfish from where he had been resting. Sal the salamander suspects that it is an alien spaceship carrying one-eyed aliens that will eat them all, just like in the comic books he reads from a nearby campground. But when Willow begins to investigate the object further, she discovers the truth about the item with the help of her friends. Together, they work at removing the mysterious object from their home as they learn what large impacts a small act can do.
The illustrations and quality of the book are worth mentioning as a bonus to the storyline, which is also well-written and incorporates some older sayings I can picture Mr. Winkler speaking. I found the message of environmental mindfulness to be one that is not shoved onto the reader, but is still a part of the plotline in a meaningful way. As I read the book, I could not stop myself from saying “Swiper, no swiping,” from Dora as a similar occurrence happens with a not-so-beloved weasel throughout the story. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes animal stories, themes of overcoming obstacles, and a message of continuing to follow your dreams, even when the road gets a little tough. It would also be a great gift or a donation to a Little Free Library.
January 24, 2024
Willow is a duckling who was adopted by the kindly Beaver McBeaver. She has a best friend Sal the Salamander who reads a ton and has sparked her dreams of becoming a detective. When a strange object lands in the pond Willow must figure out what it is (alien spaceship?) and then try to figure out how they can get it out of the pond before it ruin's Franny the Frog's diner.
I really liked Dan Santat's illustrations throughout this. I thought it was just going to be a picture book, but it is a chapter book. The text is larger than normal, but it will still take young readers a little while to get through since the text runs full pages at a time. There's a thieving weasel who we're told is a bully (we witness him stealing a snack from a human and nothing else). Willow stands up to him, but also shoots a rubber band and a bouncy ball at him, which felt a bit harsh with no background of what exactly he's done to her. I wanted her to give him a chance at helping out but she didn't. I did like the problem solving and how the community comes together to help each other out. There's a strong message about recycling and not polluting natural areas. I'll be interested to see what book 2 is like.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: Shooting a rubber band and a bouncy ball at someone.
Ethnic diversity: N/A (all temperate pond animals)
GBLTQ+ content: None
I really liked Dan Santat's illustrations throughout this. I thought it was just going to be a picture book, but it is a chapter book. The text is larger than normal, but it will still take young readers a little while to get through since the text runs full pages at a time. There's a thieving weasel who we're told is a bully (we witness him stealing a snack from a human and nothing else). Willow stands up to him, but also shoots a rubber band and a bouncy ball at him, which felt a bit harsh with no background of what exactly he's done to her. I wanted her to give him a chance at helping out but she didn't. I did like the problem solving and how the community comes together to help each other out. There's a strong message about recycling and not polluting natural areas. I'll be interested to see what book 2 is like.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: Shooting a rubber band and a bouncy ball at someone.
Ethnic diversity: N/A (all temperate pond animals)
GBLTQ+ content: None
July 10, 2025
This was a really cute book. I don't know what age this would be for exactly. It is a "chapter book" but at the same time some of the concepts seem simple for someone who would just be starting "chapter" books. The illustrations give away the 'mystery' of what caused the splash very early, to where I could see young guys just shouting "it's a ____" as they see the picture if it is being read to them.
The other issue I had with this book, is there was a character named "Snout the weasel" and throughout the book he keeps trying to steal things from Willow (the duck) and various other characters. The problem I had was this character was only there for everyone to hit and beat and yell "scram" to. He served no purpose other than that, and why that's a problem? There's a part where bigger animals are helping remove the item that causes the splash, such as a Heron, Willow's dad (a beaver) and various other animals, but they have a hard time because it's so heavy. Why didn't they ask Snout, or why didn't Snout help save the day, they could have even been like "hey Snout, if you help us move this, we'll give you (insert object Snout wanted to steal earlier here). Instead he was a completely unnecessary character.
Otherwise, the idea behind the book was cute. I had heard the Fonz wrote kids books now, and I finally came across one and used it for a reading challenge.
The other issue I had with this book, is there was a character named "Snout the weasel" and throughout the book he keeps trying to steal things from Willow (the duck) and various other characters. The problem I had was this character was only there for everyone to hit and beat and yell "scram" to. He served no purpose other than that, and why that's a problem? There's a part where bigger animals are helping remove the item that causes the splash, such as a Heron, Willow's dad (a beaver) and various other animals, but they have a hard time because it's so heavy. Why didn't they ask Snout, or why didn't Snout help save the day, they could have even been like "hey Snout, if you help us move this, we'll give you (insert object Snout wanted to steal earlier here). Instead he was a completely unnecessary character.
Otherwise, the idea behind the book was cute. I had heard the Fonz wrote kids books now, and I finally came across one and used it for a reading challenge.
November 9, 2023
This book had me at the first line -
"Willow Feathers was the only duck in the world whose father was a beaver."
Willow is a duck - and his egg was washed out of the nest and ended up with a beaver who adopted the baby duck christened Willow Feathers. Willow wants to be a detective. Papa Beaver reminds Willow that they are a small duck. When Papa realizes that this is a discouraging statement rather than an encouraging one, he changes his response. And then, while Willow is out and about -- a huge black thing rolls down the hill and lands in the pond! What is it? Where did it come from? And how can the pond animals get rid of it? Willow had a mystery to solve!
There's a lot of great stuff here - reminders to be encouraging; making sure that you have your facts correct and don't depend on hearsay; cooperation to help others; and the importance of recycling. Oh, and there is also a bully.
Plus - all of this is accompanied by Dan Santat's amazing illustrations!
A ducky story about cooperation that would make a great read aloud for K and 1st. There's a lot of suspense in the page turns of the book! I hope to see further adventures of Willow and her friends!
"Willow Feathers was the only duck in the world whose father was a beaver."
Willow is a duck - and his egg was washed out of the nest and ended up with a beaver who adopted the baby duck christened Willow Feathers. Willow wants to be a detective. Papa Beaver reminds Willow that they are a small duck. When Papa realizes that this is a discouraging statement rather than an encouraging one, he changes his response. And then, while Willow is out and about -- a huge black thing rolls down the hill and lands in the pond! What is it? Where did it come from? And how can the pond animals get rid of it? Willow had a mystery to solve!
There's a lot of great stuff here - reminders to be encouraging; making sure that you have your facts correct and don't depend on hearsay; cooperation to help others; and the importance of recycling. Oh, and there is also a bully.
Plus - all of this is accompanied by Dan Santat's amazing illustrations!
A ducky story about cooperation that would make a great read aloud for K and 1st. There's a lot of suspense in the page turns of the book! I hope to see further adventures of Willow and her friends!
December 2, 2023
A Page-Turning Chapter Book
Bestselling authors Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver have joined forces to write the first chapter book in the Detective Duck series called THE CASE OF THE STRANGE SPLASH. Caldecott medal-winning illustrator Dan Santat has added colorful and intricate illustrations. The combination of this trio makes for a fun read.
An adorable duck named Willow is the detective and in the opening pages hears, “Thumpity, thumpity, crash, boom, bang. That noise was much louder than anything an angry weasel could make! Willow was so frightened, she couldn’t even quack. She turned her head and saw a huge black object rolling toward the pond. And it was heading right toward her.” (Page 12)
I highly recommend this well-crafted story which has a solid message.
W. Terry Whalin is an editor and the author of more than 60 books including his recent 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed .
Bestselling authors Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver have joined forces to write the first chapter book in the Detective Duck series called THE CASE OF THE STRANGE SPLASH. Caldecott medal-winning illustrator Dan Santat has added colorful and intricate illustrations. The combination of this trio makes for a fun read.
An adorable duck named Willow is the detective and in the opening pages hears, “Thumpity, thumpity, crash, boom, bang. That noise was much louder than anything an angry weasel could make! Willow was so frightened, she couldn’t even quack. She turned her head and saw a huge black object rolling toward the pond. And it was heading right toward her.” (Page 12)
I highly recommend this well-crafted story which has a solid message.
W. Terry Whalin is an editor and the author of more than 60 books including his recent 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed .
November 6, 2023
First sentence: Willow Feathers was the only duck in the world whose father was a beaver. Most ducks are raised by ducks, just like most snails are raised by snails and most giraffes are raised by giraffes.
Premise/plot: Willow Feathers is VERY curious. She wants to be a detective 'when she grows up.' In this her first case, she's investigating a strange splash--a tire in the pond. Can she figure out what made the splash and the who and why behind the splash?
My thoughts: I wasn't wowed. I thought it would be more fun than it actually was. That may not be the book's fault. Reading is so subjective and so much depends on reader's expectations. Another thing to consider, obviously, is that I'm not the book's target audience. I didn't find it worse than other mystery series books for this age group. I just didn't find it outstandingly better than the typical mystery.
Premise/plot: Willow Feathers is VERY curious. She wants to be a detective 'when she grows up.' In this her first case, she's investigating a strange splash--a tire in the pond. Can she figure out what made the splash and the who and why behind the splash?
My thoughts: I wasn't wowed. I thought it would be more fun than it actually was. That may not be the book's fault. Reading is so subjective and so much depends on reader's expectations. Another thing to consider, obviously, is that I'm not the book's target audience. I didn't find it worse than other mystery series books for this age group. I just didn't find it outstandingly better than the typical mystery.
June 17, 2025
This month’s book pick was chosen by my grandson N. 📚 He took the initiative to Google duck books and found Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash by Henry Winkler. It’s a short, 80-page, easy chapter book—and a fun one too!
My grandson loved it because it was humorous and, of course, had a duck as the main character. 🦆 His favorite part? Chapter 2—when a tire rolls into the pond. He found it hilarious!
My favorite part was later in the story, when all the pond animals work together to remove the tire. ❤️ A sweet reminder of the power of teamwork.
This book is a great pick for young readers, especially in 1st and 2nd grade. It offers themes of cooperation and environmental awareness—perfect for sparking meaningful conversations with kids. 🌿✨ Oh I forgot to mention the beautiful illustrations by Dan Santat.🤩
My grandson loved it because it was humorous and, of course, had a duck as the main character. 🦆 His favorite part? Chapter 2—when a tire rolls into the pond. He found it hilarious!
My favorite part was later in the story, when all the pond animals work together to remove the tire. ❤️ A sweet reminder of the power of teamwork.
This book is a great pick for young readers, especially in 1st and 2nd grade. It offers themes of cooperation and environmental awareness—perfect for sparking meaningful conversations with kids. 🌿✨ Oh I forgot to mention the beautiful illustrations by Dan Santat.🤩
November 8, 2023
Willow Feathers is a little duck whose father is Beaver McBeaver. He's her father because he found her as an egg and raised her as his own. She wants to be detective so one day when a large, black, round object landed in their pond her first mission was to discover what it was. Once that was solved, she needed to figure out how to get it out of the pond. With the help of friends she was able to get the object out of the pond and into the recycling bin where it belonged. This story was written by Henry "the Fonz" Winkler. I am quite fond of him so I wanted to see how he would approach a children's book. He did an excellent job and I think most children will not only love the story but also the vibrant illustrations.
May 6, 2023
Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash is book 1 in a new series by writing duo, Lin Oliver and Henry Winkler. Illustrator Dan Santat provides full color illustrations for this easy reader chapter book. At the heart of the book is the main character Willows Feather McBeaver, and her Dad: Beaver. There are other animal friends (and one foe) that populate the story and aid in solving the mystery: what is that strange object that has rolled into their pond? And how can they get rid of it? As Willows confidence in her detective skills grows (thanks to an encouraging friend) she spearheads the plan to save their pond from human pollution. I recommend this book for kids who like animal stories, and who want to read a series that is equal parts funny and touching.
October 30, 2025
My students loved this book, as did I! The pond animals are adorably illustrated and characterized. Their names are super cute and their speech and thinking processes are amusing as they try to solve the mystery of the tire in the pond. Where there were opportunities to make predictions, I held back on showing my students the illustrations. They loved guessing along with the pond creatures. One of my students listed this read-aloud as one of her favourite things that her teacher did for her. It would make a great read-aloud during Earth Week. I also appreciated the themes of working together to do big things.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2024
Willow Feathers is a very special duck. She has been adopted by a beaver, lives in a peaceful pond community with a variety of animal friends and dreams of becoming a detective. When a large black object lands in the pond, the animals don't know what it is, but do know it shouldn't be there. There's speculation that it could be invading aliens, but Willow figures it out and comes up with a plan to remove it. A delightful illustrated chapter book with a good mystery, humor, wonderful characters, and a great message about cooperating to clean up the environment.
May 21, 2024
The copy I read was an ARC, so maybe some stuff was changed in the final printing, but there were a lot of loopholes that I couldn't stop thinking about and maybe the biggest thing that got me was the fact that the main character was called a detective, but didn't really solve a mystery. I mean I guess there was something they were uncertain about, but it was figured out within a few pages and it wasn't the duck that really figured it out. This is one of those books that tries to be overly punny, but ends up missing out on an actual storyline. Too much talent to be wasted on this book.
June 9, 2024
You can't recycle tires. Let's stop lying to kids about easy environmental solutions.
I like the book design, the length, the typeset, the illustrations. I like the idea of animals solving crimes in a local pond. I'm ok about the cross-species adoption backstory. I loathe the cutesy Internet conscious names. I'm ok about the environmental bent, but we should tell the truth. We've lied to ourselves and our children about the power of recycling to save us.
Grades K-2, animal personification fantasy with ecological theme.
I like the book design, the length, the typeset, the illustrations. I like the idea of animals solving crimes in a local pond. I'm ok about the cross-species adoption backstory. I loathe the cutesy Internet conscious names. I'm ok about the environmental bent, but we should tell the truth. We've lied to ourselves and our children about the power of recycling to save us.
Grades K-2, animal personification fantasy with ecological theme.
October 5, 2024
A new children's chapter book series by Henry Winkler with Lin Oliver about Willow Feathers, who wants to be a great detective. She gets her chance along with her friends of Dogwood Pond when a large black round object lands in the pond endangering Mrs Frog and her tadpoles. The book also looks issues like pollution and recycling. A fun, charming read that are highlighted by Dan Santats adorable colorful illustrations. Recommended for 1-2nd graders are becoming confident readers and for parents as a bedtime read aloud.
November 30, 2024
Willow the duck lives with her father Beaver McBeaver in Dogwood Pond (the story tells you how that happened) and she decides she wants to become a detective when she grows up. When a mysterious object appears in Book #1, she’s on the case. And in Book #2, Fanny the frog who runs the café that serves stewed mosquito wings and fried flies, is in a panic as Tad, her tadpole, is missing. Large font and heavily illustrated make these perfect for this age group or a perfect read-aloud for slightly younger kids. Environmental statement is done is an age appropriate way.
May 9, 2023
Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver are back together with a book for younger audience. Willow Feathers the duck lives with her adopted father, Beaver McBeaver. Willow wants to grow up to be a detective. Suddenly her pond is invaded by an "alien spaceship." It starts to effect the pond and its inhabitances. Can Willow figure out what it is and how to get rid of it?
This is a great beginning chapter book with full color pictures. I loved this story and I am sure my first graders will too.
This is a great beginning chapter book with full color pictures. I loved this story and I am sure my first graders will too.
June 15, 2023
I loved this adorable story of Willow Feather, a duckling, adopted by a beaver, who dreams of being a detective. When a mystery literally splashes into their pond, threatening their community, Willow must use her sleuthing skills to figure out what the item is and how to get it out of the pond. Willow is resilient, creative, determined, and clever, and a strong leader able to find help as well as solutions. Her beaver dad is sensitive and caring, and she has supportive friends. This is a cute, fun mystery for younger readers and animal-lovers!
January 18, 2024
I had high hopes for this illustrated chapter book - I am a big fan of the Hank Zipzer books. This one lacked the charm, humor, and sincerity of those books. And, while the illustrations from Dan Santat have his trademark expressiveness, there are some places where they don't align with the text - almost like he illustrated an earlier version of the story.
I do think preschoolers will like the book as a gateway to listening to longer books.
I do think preschoolers will like the book as a gateway to listening to longer books.
February 15, 2024
Willow Feathers McBeaver, or Detective Duck, is the adopted duck of Beaver McBeaver. Willow loves solving mysteries and wants to be a detective with all her might. However, she's not really confident that she can be a good one. But an opportunity to test her sleuthing skills come crashing (literally) into her pond. Is it from outerspace? Is it an alien attack?
There's a lot of good teamwork amongst Willow and her friends as they work together to save their pond. There's the clear message to recycle by the end of the book.
There's a lot of good teamwork amongst Willow and her friends as they work together to save their pond. There's the clear message to recycle by the end of the book.
May 4, 2023
[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
4 stars = Great! Might re-read.
Fun transitional chapter book for young readers. There are three "mysteries" or challenges for Willow to work through which will keep readers engaged. The environmental message is strong without being heavy handed.
4 stars = Great! Might re-read.
Fun transitional chapter book for young readers. There are three "mysteries" or challenges for Willow to work through which will keep readers engaged. The environmental message is strong without being heavy handed.
June 21, 2023
This book is adorable! There are so many cute messages our children need to read and be empowered by, but it’s done in a subtle way that it doesn’t feel like reading lessons. This is a great book with cute graphics.
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in return for a honest review.
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in return for a honest review.
June 26, 2023
A cute story about a small duck with a big dream, and how one duck alone cannot change the world, but with a little help from her friends, she can do great things. The themes of friendship, self-esteem and self-confidence, working hard, and environmentalism come together. Read as a physical reader copy, I am curious about the final products illustrations.
July 24, 2023
Oh my goodness! This story is such a sweet little mystery! Our first and second grade readers needed this series, and it’s so exciting that Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver’s Detective Duck series will be out in the world this October! Dan Santat’s illustrations are absolutely fantastic, too. Those duck faces get me every time…
November 1, 2023
Great second grade book and read aloud. Dan Santat's illustrations are brilliant. The characters are adorable. Beaver McBeaver has raised our sleuthy Duck from an egg. When a tire ends up in the pond, the mystery begins. Getting the tire out of the pond is the challenge. Great beginning to a new early chapter book series that kids will gobble up.
November 17, 2023
This is a cute children's book with chapters and a few illustrations to tell the story of a duck being raised by a beaver near Dogwood Pond. A spare tire rolls into the pond, causing many problems. The pond citizens work together to try to solve their problem. Environmental issues are woven into the story in a fun way. Thanks to NetGalley, Abrams Kids, and Amulet Books for providing an ARC.
January 3, 2024
I love Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver's new series! Such cute character names and a unique storyline! The ecological/environmental message is a HUGE plus! This series seems to be written for younger kids, and admittedly the Hank Zipzer series is funnier and more relatable to me, but "The Case of the Strange Splash" was fun to read. Looking forward to reading more of these!
March 9, 2024
It was fun enough. I think little kids will enjoy it. It was the dream team for creating. The door, full-page illustrations will make students happy.
It was so short for me that I didn’t totally connect with the characters. I did appreciate that little Detective Duck had a beaver adoptive father.
It was so short for me that I didn’t totally connect with the characters. I did appreciate that little Detective Duck had a beaver adoptive father.
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