In 1945, the attention of the United States, along with the rest of the world, was focused on World War II. After more than five years of fighting, downcast, war-weary people were looking for signs of hope of a better future. One April morning, a duck searching for a nesting spot lands on a tall post sticking out of the Milwaukee River. Situated near a busy drawbridge and the noisy city of Milwaukee, this was an unlikely, precarious spot for a soon-to-be-mama duck to build her nest. But that is exactly where Gertie (named by a local reporter) decides to make her home and lay her eggs. Once local newspapers report the story, crowds begin visiting the bridge to watch Gertie and speculate how she will safely hatch her babies. Soon, news outlets around the world are carrying the hopeful tale of the plucky duck, raising spirits, and giving readers a shared sense of community.
Shari Swanson earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She also graduated from UCLA with a degree in English Literature and from USC with her law degree. She is an appellate attorney with many published cases, including the landmark, nationally-followed case, Potter v. Firestone, where she helped her clients recover damages based on Firestone illegally dumping toxics. Shari is also a former middle school language arts teacher. HONEY, THE DOG WHO SAVED ABE LINCOLN, is her debut picture book. Shari lives in Southern California with her husband and their dog, Honey.
Renée Graef received her bachelor's degree in art from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She is the illustrator of numerous titles in the Little House publishing program, as well as Rodgers and Hammerstein's My Favorite Things and E.T.A Hoffman's The Nutcracker, adapted by Janet Schulman. She lives in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, with her husband and two children.
Target Age: 5-8
Sleeping Bear Press
Pub Date: March 15, 2023
0.44" H x 11.27" L x 9.32" W
40 pages
hardcover