Review: Eddie the Duckling by Molly Arbuthnott

Review: Eddie the Duckling by Molly Arbuthnott 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I was a child, I often took comfort in stories about children who stood out from the crowd, those who needed to find their own place and where they felt they belonged. I’ve often – both as a child and as an adult – gravitated toward stories dealing with these types of ideas because I felt like I could understand where the characters were coming from. 

Because of this, Molly Arbuthnott’s Eddie the Duckling hits a lot of right notes for me. At the same time, I think the story’s subjects are equally relatable for children, and I think it’s worth looking into them further. 

Before I talk about how this story is built, let’s look at what it is about. Let’s get into it!

Summary

Eddie the duckling lives with his family in a pond but struggles to fit in with those he loves and finds himself searching for ways to keep up with his loved ones. However, when a hawk flies by, he realizes he needs not only keep up with them but protect them as well. 

Will Eddie be able to help his family?

Thoughts

As I said, I find the message of this story deeply relatable and worth discussing. Eddie’s struggle to find his role in the world with his family trying to help him is so wholesome and sweet! I think protagonists like Eddie are incredibly important for children, because they show someone going through trials and tribulations that aren’t so easy to overcome. At the same time, though, Eddie has the support of his family as he tries to cope with his challenges. I love that he has individuals who care for him and want to see him get through this. It is very touching.  

I want to pivot away from the story for a second to talk about the artwork. I love the illustrations in this story! The vibrant colors and playful imagery are beautiful, charming, and amusing! The color completely immersed me in the world of the story, to the point where I found myself looking for details even on pages where Eddie isn’t shown! I also love some of the more humorous situations depicted and what Eddie and his family are doing in them because the activities are very memorable! Overall, the artwork is one of the best aspects of this entire story for me!

Now that I’ve discussed those general thoughts, let’s move on to the story’s structure.

Structure

The way this story is built is fantastic, too! I love that the narrative is presented in the order in which things occur, and it is done so in a way that is easy to get behind. How Eddie’s journey progresses is perfectly clear. However, I also love that the progression of his thoughts and emotions are just as clear. The structure shows how his character is affected by the things that happen to him, and it is easy to understand how the conclusion is reached. 

I love how the story is built, and I think it works perfectly given the theme and ideas presented. 

Now that I’ve talked about the structure, let’s move on to the writing!

Writing

The writing also works well in concert with the artwork! It conveys exactly what Eddie is feeling in a way that made me feel for him. The tone of the writing shows exactly what the situation has done to Eddie’s confidence along with how others react to him. The mood and tone of the story convey Eddie’s true feelings regarding his situation. 

I also like the setup of the situation and its ultimate payoff. Everything talked about in the beginning comes together in the end in a satisfying manner. This is because the writing guides the reader event by event, showing how the story reaches the payoff. The tone shifts from setup to payoff, but it is done so in a slow enough manner that it feels gentle and easy to get behind!

All in all, I think the prose works perfectly along with the art and shows how everything comes together!

Well, I think I’ve discussed everything I wanted to talk about. Let’s wrap this review up!

Conclusion

I really enjoyed this! The story is touching, the artwork is beautiful, and it’s easy to get wrapped up in Eddie’s journey! I think the message is important for children to hear and that Eddie’s plight will resonate with readers. For all these reasons, I will be awarding this story five stars.