Told in bouncy rhyme, author H.M. Ehrlich’s Dr. Duck pays tender tribute to a dedicated doctor and his care-giving group of grateful patients. Dr. Duck, an aging country doctor, is a busy man. He gets up early every day and heads out in his big, red van to see his menagerie of patients.
He treats weasels, beavers, and rabbits, calms a worried mouse, and cares for a crow with a broken toe. He gives “Cough syrup for a sheep / Who had a bad flu. / Pink pills for a cow / too hoarse to moo.” Then at the end of a long day, Dr. Duck returns home feeling a bit under the weather. Dr. Duck takes care of all the animals when they are ill, but who will take care of him when he gets sick? In no time at all, his own patients arrive, ready to practice the doctor’s own brand of tender care.
Ehrlich finds simple, clever rhymes for every illness, even managing one for the croup. His sweet-natured story expresses the caring relationship between doctor and patient. Illustrator Laura Rader creates a sunny, cheerful animal community with her colorful watercolors. From a rabbit with measles to Mother Skunk’s babies getting shots for rabies, Rader captures a variety of ailments with humor and skill.
Dr. Duck’s animal patients, eager to administer a little tender loving care to their beloved doctor, demonstrate great lessons of compassion and generosity.
Dr. Duck is a picture book perfect for young readers stuck in bed with their own coughs and colds. Making house calls to any home, Dr. Duck and his band of patients are ready to administer a little laughter and loving kindness.
