Days of the Ducklings

On a small island off the coast of Iceland, Drífa has the task of hatching and raising over two hundred peeping wild eider ducklings. Her goal, for which she is supported by a license granted by the Ministry of the Environment, is to raise the ducklings to reestablish a colony of common eiders here. If the ducklings are to survive in the wild, they can’t become pets. Drífa must nurture them while keeping her distance as their caregiver. She must balance the emotionally satisfying appeal of her charges with her ultimate goal of reestablishing the colony if she is to succeed in raising her lovable ducklings to live free as wild eider ducks.

Nights of the Pufflings

On a tiny island off the coast of Iceland, Halla and her friends wait with anticipation. Every spring, millions of puffins, the clowns of the sea, return to nest, lay eggs, and raise their chicks to pufflings. That means Halla and her friends will be busy in August when the pufflings venture out at night to take their first flight. Then, all of the children stay out all night, too. During the nights of the pufflings they rescue thousands of stranded young birds, and in the daytime set them safely free at the beach. In Nights of the Pufflings, Bruce McMillan captures the unique and endearing story of an island tradition.

The Little Mermaid

A little sea princess, longing to be human, trades her mermaid’s tail for legs, hoping to win the love of a prince and earn an immortal soul for herself.

Stories from Hans Christian Andersen

Eleven fairy tales by the master storyteller are retold in a voice that is fresh and inventive and yet always true to the spirit of Andersen. The jaunty, playful illustrations add to the fun, bringing out with humor and verve all the childlike aspects of the tales.

The Perfect Wizard: Hans Christian Andersen

A biography of the famous Danish writer of fairy tales, interspersed with excerpts from his stories.