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Miller, Pat Zietlow

My Brother the Duck

40 pp. | Chronicle | April, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-1-4521-4283-8 $16.99
(2) K-3 Illustrated by Daniel Wiseman. When Stella's dad remarks that Stella's pregnant mom is walking with a waddle, young Stella begins to develop her hypothesis that the new baby will be a duck. Like a budding research scientist or nascent detective, Stella considers this theory after the birth of her brother. She uses observation (he has a yellowish tinge), inference (her parents have named the baby Drake), and logic (he has a loud squawk). Finally, she consults an expert, the school principal, who, of course, must know everything. The principal airily declares, "If it looks like a duck..." Stella considers her hypothesis proven until further experience (also known as coming to accept the new baby) forces her to abandon that hypothesis. Undaunted, her rigorous scientific mind still fully engaged, she begins to see her father in a new light. Wry cartoony illustrations, making effective use of primary colors, especially bright yellow, render this romp slightly more plausible (there's a big duck-decorated bath towel involved). It's all very jolly and absurdist, an original take on the new-baby "problem" and a lighthearted introduction to the scientific method and critical ­thinking.
Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2020

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