Waddles - Hardcover

David McPhail began drawing at a very young age. Today he is the New York Times bestselling illustrator of more than one hundred books for children, including Budgie & Boo, Water Boy, and When Sheep Sleep, which Booklist called a "charming bedtime story." He lives in Rye, New Hampshire.

As in Budgie & Boo (2009), McPhail celebrates interspecies camaraderie in another picture book divided into four short chapters. Waddles the raccoon loves to visit his best friend, Emily, a duck, at the pond in their beautiful park. They have their differences: Waddles snacks on trash-can pizza; Emily prefers fresh bugs. But the two have fun and support each other, as loyal pals do, and in spring, when Emily needs a break from warming her eggs, Waddles climbs onto the nest for a turn. After scaring away a predatory fox, he gets the thrill of witnessing the eggs hatch, and throughout the summer, he enjoys swimming and snuggling with the flock. Then, in autumn, Emily and her ducklings fly off to warmer waters, while Waddles spends a lonely, solitary winter, until spring brings a joyful reunion with the whole duck family. McPhails ink-and-watercolor illustrations elevate the familiar story of mismatched, devoted friends, coaxing expertly drawn emotion from his endearing characters. A tender, year-round reminder of the sustaining power of friendship. Preschool-Grade 2. --Gillian Engberg