I think this story tells of true friendship. I love the fact that the duck trusted Waddles to watch her eggs, and that when they hatched he was a big part of their lives. The ducklings coming back made for a great turn because I was almost convinced that he was going to be sad for the rest of the book. BUT it taught a good lesson of hope when the ducklings returned. I also like the that the book touches on seasons and how the ducklings came back full grown. ( )

A plump little raccoon named Waddles enjoys his life by the pond, digging in the nearby trashcan for food and playing with his best friend, Emily the duck. When Emily asks him to look after her eggs for a minute, while she takes a dip, Waddles agrees, and is there for the key moment when her ducklings hatch. Now part of a large family, our procyonine hero is immensely happy. Until, that is, autumn comes and the ducklings must fly south. Will Waddles ever see his adoptive family again...?

Although there is never much doubt that this sweet animal story will end well, young children will undoubtedly still enjoy seeing Waddles get his well-deserved happy reunion. A gentle tale, one divided into four sections that correspond to the four seasons, Waddles pairs a heartwarming story with cute-as-a-button illustrations. McPhail's artwork here is quite expressive, capturing its eponymous hero's changing emotional state quite well. Recommended to young animal lovers, and to anyone looking for picture-books about raccoons, ducks, friendship, and/or the seasons. ( )

26 months ( )

This is a good book. It is about a raccoon named Waddles whose best friend is a duck named Emily. Waddles is always around Emily that he even waddles like a duck when he walks. Emily always accompanies Waddles to find his food. One day Emily tells Waddles that she cannot go with him because she has laid her eggs and has to keep them warm. Waddles volunteers to watch the eggs while Emily goes for a swim. The eggs happen to hatch while in Waddles's care. As time goes by, Waddles becomes attached to the ducklings. When winter comes around, Emily and the ducklings have to fly south. Waddles becomes sad since his friends aren't around. Once winter has passed, they fly back home. Once again, Waddles is happy. I'd like to think that the theme of the story is trust. We never see a raccoon warming a duck's eggs. Here, the duck has trust in the raccoon and therefore accepts the raccoon's offer to care for the eggs.
I would recommend this book for ages 4-8.
This would be a good book to incorporate with teaching about bird migration ( )

Story follows the seasons. Gentle story of friendship. ( )