The Fire-Breathing Duckling

Momentarily startled to discover a fourth egg in her nest—one that looks nothing like the other three she has laid—Mama Duck quickly regains her composure: “There is nothing wrong with being different. They are my eggs, and when they hatch, they will be my ducklings.” But while he is unconditionally loved, bubblegum-hued Nort, who is instantly recognizable as a baby dragon, has none of his family’s aquatic talents. Could it be that he’s not a “Quacking Duckling” after all? Nort checks in with the farm’s oinking, mooing, and clucking contingents, and finds he doesn’t fit those categories, either. Only when a ravenous wolf declares Nort its dinner does he realize he’s in a category all his own: “A FIRE-BREATHING DUCKLING!” Blending the feel of classic Disney comics, a venerable fairy tale, and Are You My Mother? plotting, Cammuso transforms an identity quest into a funny but pointed reminder that family is about connection. Ages 5–7. (Aug.)