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The Unexpected Love Story of Alfred Fiddleduckling

Captain Alfred is sailing toward home with a gift for his wife—a duck egg close to hatching—stashed in his fiddle case when a sudden storm tosses his boat about. When calm returns, the newly hatched duckling, Alfred, finds himself alone in one half of a broken fiddle case and drifting through the fog. As Alfred embraces an object (the Captain’s fiddle) floating in the water nearby it makes a beautiful sound. Meanwhile, the Captain’s wife worries about her missing husband. When the lonely duckling comes ashore, still clutching the fiddle, he encounters the Captain’s dog and the two bond over their appreciation of the fiddle’s music. That music brings the Captain’s wife to their side, while a final spread shows the Captain paddling a makeshift raft as the sound of his fiddle leads him home. An unlikely but successful pairing of fantasy and realism woven through the text and illustrations adds charm to this story of separation, reunion, and the magic of music. ©2017 Cooperative Children's Book Center

Illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-8
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: Animals (Fiction) Friendship Music and Musicians Pets Separation Worry
Diversity subject: Black/African

Publisher: Candlewick
Publish Year: 2017
Pages: 40
ISBN: 9780763664329

CCBC Location: Picture Book, Ering