Don't Get Stuck on Being a Duck!

by Zev Lewinson, Zev Lewinson, Caryn Starr (Editor)

Ethel the eaglet feels scared when her mother tells her it’s time to learn how to fly. But with the love and support of her mother, Ethel discovers that what she feared most is actually what she loves best!

50 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2010

Reviews

[Gail Hollingsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Ethel the eaglet is informed by her mom that it's time to leave the nest and fly. Ethel is scared and comes up with several birds she would like to be instead of an eagle. The mother gives reasons why each one mentioned faces perils of their own.
This is a great lesson for children to take in and learn that fear is normal but it can be overcome. It also teaches that it's better to be yourself than try to be something you are not.
The watercolor illustrations by Debi Coules is an addition that will catch a child's eye as they are being read to. This would make a nice gift for any young child for any occasion.
I won a copy of this book but was not required to write a review.

[Anne Rightler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't Get Stuck of Being a Duck! is a lovely book about overcoming fear for young children. My first-grade granddaughter read it without any difficulty. The illustrations are charmingly done in soft colors by Debi Coules. The story reminds readers that sometimes even though things might be hard to do, the rewards are greater than the fear. A little humor adds some fun to the book as Ethel the eaglet lets her mom know that waddling around the nest is a lot safer than trying to fly. A great book for a child's library. I won a copy of the book and was not required to write a review.

[K.L. Bernard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ethel is a young eagle who is afraid to fly. It is now time for her to soar in the sky like all the other eagles. She dreams about being a duck. Her mother wants her to wake up and not be afraid. But, Ethel looks up at the cliffs above her nest and at the ground way below, and she is very afraid. Ethel explains to her mother that she had a dream of being a duck. In her dream she was a happy duck and even though ducks fly they don't always have to. Ethel waddles around and begins to quack, just like a duck. Her mother reminds her that ducks often times end up as dinner. Ethel rethinks being a duck and considers being a dodo bird instead. Her mother reminds her that the dodo bird is extinct. Shocked by the news, Ethel must rethink her fear of flying and learn to be herself.

Lewinson has created another hilarious story for kids. Parents and teachers will get a kick out of it too. Young readers will recognize what it means to be afraid. Parents can discuss their fears and help them to overcome them. Soft colorful pastel chalk illustrations are pleasing to the eye and make children chuckle as the story unfolds.

[Ashley]

A bit... wordy IMO for a children's book and it has more than a few words too large for the target picture book audience (majestic, caressed, quivered)