NORA'S DUCK

In a loving tribute to the work of her English friend ""Doctor John,"" Ichikawa portrays the endearing child from Nora's Stars (1989) taking him an injured duckling she has found. Doctor John, a retired physician who now cares for many such animals, assures Nora that the duckling only needs rest; then he shows her around his establishlment, introducing his other patients--birds, domestic animals, even an old parrot that used to belong to his mother. The artist's sweet, precise style is perfect for this idyll in a contemporary peaceable kingdom; the simple, uneventful story is nicely rounded when Nora returns the duckling to its mother on the way home to her own. A good addition to the sensitivity-to-other-species collection.