SOLVED. Children's Picture book. Before 1981. Poor duckling gets a job (bakery or store? sweeps floors) to help family, he wears little sweater & cap to work. Momma duck darns sweater before first day of work. Paid partially in food he brings home. [s]

[Emma]

My sister and I both have vague recollections of this book but can't pin it down, and we'd really appreciate any help. We're early-seventies babies, so it's pretty unlikely that the book we're thinking of was later than 1980.

The story is about a duckling who goes to work, probably in a bakery or a store. My recollection is that they're a poor family and he's getting a job to help support the family. He wears a little sweater and cap to go to work, and I think we see Momma duck darning his sweater before his First Day Of Work. We can picture him with a broom, so we think the job involves sweeping the floors. Our friend the duckie is paid at least partially in food, and the boss gives him a bun or loaf of bread of some kind at the end of the day. He takes it home and Momma Duck cuts it into pieces to share with his brothers and sisters.

Sorry, I know it's not much to go on, but being a little kids book, it probably didn't have a ton to it. It would have been a short book, maybe the size of a "little golden book" or something similar.

If it rings bells for anyone we'd be very grateful for the help solving this one! It's driving us both nuts. Thanks in advance.

[Daisy]

I'm no help, but it sounds adorable.

[Kris]

Emma, is this a picture book (about 32-48 pages) or children's chapter book?

Is there a father duck?

Can you describe the illustrations - e.g., simple or detailed, realistic or cartoon-like, painted watercolors or bold graphics, color or black-and-white? Do they remind you of a similar illustrator or picture book author?

I added some details to the header/ topic title. Feel free to edit it.

[Emma]

Hi Kris, it's a picture book, and I recall simple, not-very-realistic colour illustrations; flat, not detailed. Not a cartoony duck like Donald, but simplified rather than realistic. Both my sister and I remember Momma duck being a single mother. Duckling wore a dark green sweater.
Funny, we were talking about it again the other day and we both recalled that the bun or loaf that Duckling brought home looked somehow unreasonably delicious and we both really wanted to eat it. It was like the Perfect Bun.

[Brooke]

Hi Emma, do you have any memories of what the actual cover of the book looked like?

[Emma]

nope. :(

[Emma]

OH MY GOD YOU GUYS I GOT IT. It's Diddle Daddle Duckling. We had a 70's version of a 1930s story. Whew.

[Kris]

Great. Glad you found your book, Emma. Here's the link - Diddle Daddle Duckling by Grace Irene Bennett.

Amazon has a cover image that fits your description - https://www.amazon.com/Diddle-Daddle-...