A young girl’s struggle with the creative process is the focus of this zany tale. A class assignment to create a work of fiction is the impetus for the budding writer’s endeavors. Her initial efforts produce a tale about a duck with shoes. Unfortunately, the child’s teacher steadfastly rejects any stories involving literary flights of fancy and the girl resignedly consigns the elegantly shod duck to the scrap-paper heap. However, the spunky fowl takes matters into his own wings and resolutely continues on with his journey. Soon the young artist has a veritable character mutiny on her hands as a one-winged girl joins the duck and refuses to be written out of the story. Linch’s tale is wryly written with hilarious scenes depicting the girl earnestly explaining to her free-spirited creations that she must write a more practical story. One discordant note in the work is the oppressiveness of the teacher, who relentlessly attempts to squash the girl’s creative spirit and functions more as a one-dimensional caricature of an unimaginative adult. However, the child ingeniously creates an “acceptable” tale about a trip to the zoo while slyly incorporating her unique characters into the background pictures. Full-page illustrations, riotously colored, artfully convey the girl’s—and her characters’—uncompromising individuality. A humorous and inspiring exploration of the art of writing that encourages readers to give their imaginations free reign. (Picture book. 3-7)
