Award-winning artist Sylvia Long has teamed up with first-time children's book author Barbara Skalak to bring us a touching tale of one little duckling's first day in the world. From the moment our little duckling peeks out from the broken eggshell, he discovers the wonder of his Mama's love, brothers and sisters, the pond—but wait! Where's Mama? Our adorable little duckling finds himself all alone, and the search for his Mama begins.

Waddle, Waddle, Quack, Quack, Quack is a well-written story based on a familiar theme. I was happy to have the chance to depict the ducks in their natural setting. My fascination with all kinds of birds goes back to my childhood, growing up in a family where all aspects of nature, and birds in particular, was something to be curious about and pay attention to. That beginning has given me a lifetime of enjoyment; I still go on trips with my parents a couple of times each year just to see what birds are around and enjoy the outdoors with them.

I chose mallard ducks to illustrate Barbara Skalak's story because they are very common and can be found all over the United States. The challenge in illustrating this book was to give the ducks enough personality to be characters in the story without sacrificing realistic looking mallards. I owe a debt to Robert McCloskey, whose Make Way for Ducklings showed me the balance I was looking for. I hope children who read this book will not only enjoy the exciting and endearing story, but also learn to recognize the very common mallard hen and her ducklings in the spring!

—Sylvia Long, illustrator of Waddle, Waddle, Quack, Quack, Quack