Gertie: The Darling Duck of WWII by Shari Swanson

A sweet story about a mother duck whose unusual nesting spot provided a welcome diversion from from the war, both in local news and beyond.

Gertie: The Darling Duck of WWII by Shari Swanson, illustrated by Renee Graef. Sleeping Bear Press, 2023, 32 pages.

• Reading Level: Picture book, ages 4-8
• Recommended For: Ages 4-8

In 1945, just a few years after another duck family was immortalized in literature by Robert McCloskey, a mother duck built her nest in the center of a wide post in the Milwaukee River. People noticed and admired her, wondering if the babies would be safe when her eggs hatched. A newspaper reporter started running articles about the duck he christened “Gertie,” and the stories were a bright spot among the news about the war.

Gertie and her ducklings became famous throughout the city and abroad, and the adventures surrounding the hatching of her ducklings is a heartwarming testimony to the concern of humanity over nature (though not to the extreme), especially when cute, fuzzy babies are involved.

Considerations: None

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

• Literary/Artistic Rating: 4
• Worldview Rating: 4

Read more about our ratings here.

Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Book Review: Make Way: The Story of Robert McCloskey, Nancy Schön, and some very Famous Ducklings
• Resource: Gladys Hunt on Taking Notice
• Book Review: Nicky and Vera is a picture book about a man who rescued vulnerable children in Czechoslovakia from a worse fate than a river.

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