Gertie The darling duck of WWII

On an April morning in 1945, "when the world was weary of war," a duck flew down to a tall post rising from the river near a drawbridge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She laid her eggs there, high above the river. It seemed an impractical nesting spot, but people walking along the sidewalk were fascinated by the duck, who seemed to enjoy their attention. A journalist named her Gertie. When her first hatchling fell into the river, the bridge tenders rowed out and rescued him. Later, after a storm swept all the ducklings off their post, the men rescued the whole family. The ducks were soon moved to a public park. With the look of soft, shaded pencil drawings, warmed with gentle colors, the appealing illustrations create an aura of yesteryear. The back matter includes information about ways that children helped the war effort, the role of human-interest stories in newspapers during the war, and the enormous response to stories about Gertie. Swanson's writing is lively, and the duck family's saga remains engaging, particularly within its historical context.

K-Gr 4--A true story of a city, World War II, and a duck family that created a moment of community and hope in dark times. In April, 1945, a duck nested on a piling high above the Milwaukee River. Her precarious perch was close enough to a bridge that it caught the attention of people passing nearby. Soon the duck was named Gertie, and newspaper reporters, searching for something hopeful in the midst of dark times, created a media sensation out of Gertie and her eggs that were laid high above the river. When the eggs hatched, the crowds and the media attention grew, and Gertie's story spread around the world to American soldiers far from home. Harrowing moments are captured in the text, and nostalgic illustrations with a sepia-toned quality create endearing characters out of the ducks and the people who worked hard to keep their hopeful story alive. Gertie's tale ends happily; back matter expands on the tale as well as the role of children and the home front during WWII. VERDICT A delightful historical tale that will encourage young people to find similar "good news" stories in their world today. Recommended.--John Scott

War-worried Midwesterners rally round an imperiled fowl family. By choosing to nest in an exceptionally risky public spot--far above the dirty Milwaukee River--darling Gertie offers a perfect distraction to humans in the last anxious days of World War II. Protective heroes--bridge tenders who rescue the mallard and her six cute ducklings in bad weather--ensure a happy ending: After a brief period on display in a department-store window, Gertie and her family are released into a nearby park. From the first high duck's-eye view, we are drawn into her story through careful, sepia-toned illustrations that seem lifted out of an old scrapbook. Everyone dresses soberly; quotes from people are sourced. An occasional brown face can be seen in the crowds, but most are light-skinned. Varied perspectives, including close-ups of Gertie, atmospheric changing weather, and rich background details, pique interest. Strong backmatter, with archival photos, provides historical background, focusing first on the role of women and children in the war effort and then on the extraordinary efforts of Milwaukee officials and residents to save and celebrate Gertie and her offspring. Like Robert McCloskey's Make Way for Ducklings (1941), this is a nonanthropomorphized animal story featuring caring humans. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Gertie's heartwarming tale delights and distracts today as it did in 1945. (Informational picture book. 5-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.