Clare

__ In the Rain with Baby Duck __ __ Introduction __

__Story Line...__ //'In the Rain with Baby Duck'// //is the story of a small baby duck, who really dislikes the rain. Every Sunday, she goes to her grandparents house for the very special weekly Pancake Sunday! It seems however this Sunday it is pouring rain, but of course Baby Duck can't miss the Duck family tradition of Pancake Sunday. As we follow Baby Ducks story, we are able to see the importance of problem solving, family and how sometimes Grandad knows just what is needed...//

__Context: __ ‘//In the Rain with Baby Duck//’ was written by Amy Hest and illustrated by Jill Barton, in the first book of what would become the ‘//Baby Duc//k’ series. Both women are well known children’s story writers and illustrator. Author Amy Hest has over 30 books to her name, including some of her best known titles, ‘//You can do it, Sam//,’ ‘//The Purple Coat//,’ ‘//Mr George Bake//r,’ ‘//Kiss Goodnight//,’ and ‘//When you meet a Bear on Broadway//.’ Most of her books are inspired by real life events, and feature her family members including her son Sam. She has also commented that she writes depending on her mood, and critics often note how varying her genre is. Amy works from home in New York where she lives with her husband, Andrew, and produces both children’s story book and teenage novels. 

Jill Barton has also been very successful in her career as an illustrator. Barton's charming visual humour has helped earn the Baby Duck books numerous awards, including a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, two Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Book Awards, and two Booklist Editors' Choice awards. Over the years, Jill Barton has lent her warm, whimsical style to a number of award-winning authors, including Phyllis Root, Martin Waddell, Sam McBratney, and most recently, Dick King-Smith. 

‘//In the Rain with Baby Duck’// was written in 1995 and first published in 1995 by Walker Books LTD, since then this first part to the 9 part ‘Baby Duck’ series has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. The culture in which this book was written and published in is much the same as it is today, however we have had many advances in technology since then. Some significant historical aspects that have happened since 1995 have been the September 11 Terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers in America, the first Windows program was released, president JFK was assassinated and in 1992 the Cold War was officially ended. In saying this however, there are no obvious historical events that have influenced the content in the book. The story is of a baby duck and his fear of the rain, his parent’s attempts of helping and finally how his grandfather was able to help. The book more or less teaches the value of family relationships.

__Personal: __ I have many, many different favorite books that I can recall from my childhood, and I can’t really pick which one I favour. When asked to do this assignment however, ‘//In the Rain with Baby Duck’// came to my mind first, because it’s one of the first books I remember. I remember reading it A LOT, with my parents, cousins and my grandad used to read it to me. It’s special to me because I associate happy memories with it, and with my family. At the time when I was interested in picture story books, I was never able to understand the underlying messages of each story. Almost all children’s books have morals and values that are taught throughout the text, and in this particular story it shows the value of well-connected family networks and important problem solving skills, which I value about myself and my own close relationships I have with my family.

__Conclusion: __ Every kid will recognize how Baby Duck is feeling about the rain. Amy Hest has captured the dynamics of family relationships well, making this a satisfying read for grown-ups, too. Baby Duck tries to communicate with her parents her dislike of the rain, through a song, which is unfortunately for her, interpreted as a happy one by her parents. The parents' vain attempts to smooth over Baby's unhappiness will have adults smiling to themselves, and then grandad coming to save the day with a pair of wonderful gumboots and raincoat. It is a wonderful reflection of the comical fears of children that parents deal with every day, for all families to be able to relate to. I believe the book demonstrates the values and importance of family relationships, and how going to visit grandma and grandad maintains that close relationship which is important for any child growing up, to be in constant contact with their grandparents.

//'In the Rain with Baby Duck'// has been wonderfully illustrated with beautiful water color, that compliment and bring life to the text perfectly. Each page illustrates a new scene and a new aspect of the story, and allows the reader to better understand exactly what emotions Baby Duck is feeling, and we can see how they change throughout the story. The text is fairly large, and intended for a young, beginner audience. There are a few unknown words such as dally, dawdle, waddle etc. that are made understandable though the actions illustrated by Jill Barton. I believe the book is wonderfully bright and visually appealing, and the story line is equally as entertaining.