Hello, Mandarin Duck!

K-Gr 3– A lone mandarin duck has wandered into the local May Day Parade, and twins Hue and Hoa greet it in Vietnamese. As the duck walks through the parade, various neighborhood children stop to greet it in different languages, helping to lead it to water. Eventually, the bird leads the whole parade to the pond! The languages used are not specifically indicated except in the back matter. The wide array includes Indigenous languages, such as Anishinaabe and Dakota. Issues of social justice are woven in through background images, such as paradegoers carrying signs stating “Black Lives Matter,” “No DAPL,” and “We have only one Earth.” There is also a moment when police sirens go off and everything is dark and quiet, highlighting the fears of various community members. The back matter provides information about the author’s experience with a similar event and what being and feeling welcome means to him. The artwork flows nicely with the text, enhancing the story. The illustrations are colorful, and the use of linework and shading will draw readers in.