Guji-Guji

Another picture book created by Chih-Yuan Chen, this story tells a tale about an oridinary duck. One day, an extra-large egg rolls right into Mother Duck's nest. She is busy reading and doesn't notice the new addition but this lucky event will change her life. Her hatchlings include a yellow duckling; one with blue spots; another with brown stripes; and a rather unusual, crocodile-shaped youngster, named after his first words. Guji Guji grows bigger and stronger than his siblings (and more crocodilelike), but Mother loves all her offspring the same. When three duck-hungry crocodiles make fun of Guji Guji's ways and try to tempt him into betraying his family, he is put to the test. This beautifully written story has much to say about appreciating families and differences and it will resonate with children long after the final page is turned. Chen's unique illustrations are compelling, down to the beautiful silhouette endpapers. The rich blues and earthtones and dramatic page layouts create moving scenes but the quirky details and characters' expressions are hilarious. This charming spin on the ugly duckling theme is a must-have for any collection. Bilingual version is in Traditional Chinese characters, Zhuyin and English (4 pages English translation is included at the end of book). An accompanying CD narrating the story in Mandarin Chinese and English comes with the book.