Smiley's World
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
The
big farm truck rumbled along the dusty road. It had been a long, bumpy trip down the highway, before they
turned off onto the side road.
Smiley was tired and hungry.
He felt something else, too.
He was afraid.
Smiley
just wanted to go to sleep and forget about this mess. He knew that he was not alone in the
back of the truck. To one side of
him were bales of hay and bags of something else that smelled quite good. On his other side were two wooden
crates containing some squealing animals with flat noses, curly tails and small
eyes. They didn’t smell quite as
nice.
The
noises they made were very unpleasant, but Smiley thought he might have been
able to have a bit of a nap anyway, if he hadn’t been so hungry.
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Book Details
About the Book
Hatched alongside twenty-odd chicks in a third-grade classroom, a duckling finds himself adopted by a kind little girl and her family. All goes well, until circumstances force him to fend for himself in a sometimes harsh and confusing, sometimes rewarding environment. In this tale of friendship and survival, Smiley makes many new and fascinating friends, learns to appreciate small kindnesses, accept differences and adapt to the changes in his situation with all the dignity a young duck is able to muster.
About the Author
Darlene Buchanan is a recently retired elementary school teacher, currently residing in the suburbs of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She enjoys spending time with her four young grandchildren, reading and telling stories, and encouraging them in their own pursuits of storytelling and drawing pictures.
This book was conceived when a white Pekin duck suddenly showed up at a pond near the author's home. Wondering how the duck managed in such an urban setting, a story began to weave itself over time.
The author hopes parents and teachers will read along with their children, discussing the themes of friendship, perseverance and acceptance, as they discover how a young duck copes with changing circumstances in his life. Eight to ten-year olds will enjoy reading about Smiley's adventures independently.