French Ducks in Venice [Hardcover]

Garret Freymann-Weyr (Author), Erin McGuire (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 13, 2011 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

A magical, lyrical, beautifully illustrated tale about friendship and healing--and the joys and risks of staying open to love, even in the face of loss.

Siblings George and Cecile live in Venice, California, but think of themselves as French ducks. They have an important friend, Polina Panova, who conjures magical dresses of thread, silk, and velvet . . . of grass, pieces of night sky, and strawberry jam. To the ducks, who delight in her daily visits, Polina is a princess. But when Polina's prince--who makes movies almost as luminous as her dresses--decides to go away, life on the canal changes, and so does Polina. What are two steadfast and affectionate French ducks to do? Save admit that every broken heart mends on its own time, in its own way? From an acclaimed Y A author and a talented debut illustrator comes a storybook classic full of light and hush, wisdom and whimsy, about patient friendship and the healing power of time.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Best Children’s Books of the Month, December 2011: Illustrated in a style that is reminiscent of classic animated children’s films, French Ducks in Venice is a story of friendship, loyalty, loss, and healing, told with warmth and heart. A pair of ducks, Georges and Cécile, befriend a young dressmaker, Polina, who they call a “Russian princess” for her gowns made, not only of cotton and silk, but also “pieces of the night sky, and strawberry jam.” This princess has a prince, Sebastian, who makes her very happy, until one day he goes away--for good. The reader never learns why Sebastian went away, only that Polina is very sad as a result. The ducks bring Polina a gift of golden light from where the sea meets the sky, and with the passage of time she emerges from her sadness, a reassuring reminder of the endless opportunity for new beginnings and happiness. --Seira Wilson

Review

There's virtue in presenting a portrait of loss with a spoonful of sugar; readers learn how to talk about hurt, while McGuire's cinematically lit pictures recall classic Disney images of winsome animals consoling star-crossed heroines.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 56 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (December 13, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763641731
• ISBN-13: 978-0763641733
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.4 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,596 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Welcome to my Amazon page. I think I'm supposed to be formal here and speak about myself in the third person, but I'd rather just say hello. I'm very excited that I wrote the story for a beautiful picture book called French Ducks in Venice (play the video that the brilliant Erin McGuire made and that the equally brilliant Jeff Freymann-Weyr did the music for).

Normally I write novels for both adults and young adults (a fancy phrase for people who are 12-18, although I have lots of readers who are younger and older than that). In addition to French Duck in Venice, I am the author of My Heartbeat, a Printz Honor book, which is being reissued by Houghton Mifflin in June, 2012. I also wrote Stay with Me, The Kings Are all Here, and When I Was Older. For a long time, I lived in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. and then in a small town in North Carolina.

Now I am living in a lot of different places at once, which can be confusing. Fortunately, my dog, Henry (see photo), comes everywhere with me.

I grew up in New York City and miss it everyday. I have an MFA from NYU and I teach writing when I am not writing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful children's book that adults will enjoy as well, December 22, 2011

By 

lastremnant (North Carolina United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: French Ducks in Venice (Hardcover)

When you read French Ducks in Venice, your first thought will be that this could be adapted into a movie like one of those superb indie animated films like Secret of the Kells or the Illusionist. It has a poignant feel to it and yet it's a children's book, so you can read it on two levels (which is an immediate sign that this is a good children's book as parents could read it to their children).

The artwork is amazing, beautiful, not overdone, perfectly capturing the scenes.

The story is a touching one and when it ends it will leave you wanting to know what happens next to our "Russian princess" and her gown or wishing for further adventures involving the ducks.

4.0 out of 5 stars A bittersweet twist on fairy tale romance, February 22, 2012

By 

KidsReads (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: French Ducks in Venice (Hardcover)

FRENCH DUCKS IN VENICE is the story of two not actually French ducks in Venice (California) and the princess they love. Well, Polina Panova is really a Russian dressmaker, but to Georges and his sister, Cécile, she is as lovely and talented as a princess should be. Polina makes beautiful dresses with "thread, silk, cotton and velvet," and also with "grass, flowers, pieces of the night sky and strawberry jam," she explains. But when her prince, a filmmaker named Sebastian Sterling, goes away forever, there is more sadness than beauty in Polina's life.

Georges and Cécile try to stop Sebastian from leaving, but it is no use. All Polina tells the ducks is that he "had to go." Instead of trying to find Sebastian and bring him back to Polina, Georges sets out to find a present for Polina, one that will bring beauty and happiness back into her life. His search for the perfect gift takes him far from the canals of Venice and out over the sea. Where the ocean meets the sky, Georges finds something for his princess --- something golden and soothing, something to inspire her and make her feel at least a little better.

FRENCH DUCKS IN VENICE is author Garret Freymann-Weyr's first picture book. The story is rich and emotionally sophisticated but told in a straightforward and delightful way. The plain language, however, is sometimes at odds with the depth of the story: the content seems intended for older readers, yet the wording seems a bit young. The illustrations by Erin McGuire are graceful and sweet, and capture all that is compelling in the story. Though the narrative has a few missteps, it remains a unique approach to the theme of broken-heartedness and the joys and comforts found in true friends.

A bittersweet twist on fairy tale romance, this story is about the power of friendship and unconditional love and the importance of patience and creative work. It doesn't shy away from the pain of loss but presents it in an honest way. Polina will always be "a little bit sad," but with the help of her friends, she will be happy, too.

Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman