If It Looks Like a Duck....My Brother the Duck by Pat Zietlow Miller

I'M STELLA WELLS, FLEDGLING SCIENTIST.

SCIENTISTS NOTICE THINGS. SO DO I.

LIKE THE FACT THAT MY BABY BROTHER MAY BE A DUCK.

When her dad tells her mom she's waddling, Stella notices. When she sees how wide and flat the baby's nose is, she notices. Her parents tell her that her new brother's name is Drake. The dictionary says that's a male duck. The baby squawks loudly. That's like a quack! It all checks out.

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BUT THAT WAS ONLY A HYPOTHESIS.

SCIENTISTS CAN'T JUST WING IT!

Stella needs to collect more evidence. She consults her scientist friend Carla, who pronounces her observations as interesting, but inconclusive. Scientists consult with experts, so Stella consults her principal Mrs. Kowalski, who laughs.

"IF IT WALKS LIKE A DUCK AND SOUNDS LIKE A DUCK, IT'S A DUCK!"

That was conclusive. Stella's hypothesis was confirmed.

"I WAS RELATED TO A DUCK!"

But really, how bad could that be? They could still play together. He'd be a frequent winner at Duck, Duck, Goose!

"I WAS GOING TO BE THE BEST DUCK SISTER EVER!"

But WAIT! The next day the baby seemed different. He didn't really look like a duck anymore. His nose looked like a nose, not a duck beak.

Maybe Stella needed to review her research. But then,  why did Dad suddenly come through the kitchen with webbed feet and a funny-looking thing where his mouth ought to be and head for the swimming pool outside? Does Stella Wells need to reconsider her data again?

The scientific method gets a good workout in Pat Zietlow Miller's newest picture book, My Brother the Duck: (New Baby Book for Siblings, Big Sister Little Brother Book for Toddlers) (Chronicle Books, 2020). In a charming case of a hurried hypothesis, popular author Miller has a funny story of a mistaken identity for a new baby brother in the family, and artist Daniel Wiseman has some fun with newborn noses and noises in his engaging illustrations that provide data for Stella's semi-scientific investigations. Says Kirkus Reviews, "Quirky new-baby storytime fun to quack readers up. Just ducky."

For more new baby fun, share this one with Meg Rosoff's sweet and funny It's a Moose!