Theodora is an odd duck. She primly swims balancing a cup of rose-hip tea on her head. She rides a bike, “even though her wings were in tip-top shape.” She likes books no one else reads. She knows the names of the constellations, which she observes on quiet evenings at home. Theodora is content to live alone in her tidy, home…until a new duck, a really odd duck moves in next door. Chad (the cad!) dyes his feathers assorted colors, fills his yard with odd art, sings loudly and badly, talks a mile a minute, has no manners whatsoever! Two ducks, so different, and yet...
Sara Varon’s whimsical illustrations are just ducky alongside Cecil Castellucci’s homage to the eccentricities that make life a whole lot more fun. As in Varon’s other very popular graphic novels (including the sweet Bake Sale and two friends in a boat Robot Dreams) the whimsical characters and quirky visual jokes make this comic a treat for newly independent readers all the way through elementary. And the themes of acceptance on one’s own peculiarities and those of others will also sit well with any adult lucky enough to have the book land in their lap. I sure did anyhow. Maybe I’m just an odd duck?
978-1-59643-557-5 90 pages Ages 6-10
Recommended by: Craig Seasholes, Librarian, Washington USA