Duckey has been receiving rave reviews, and we’ve just been handed another to add to the list. The Midwest Book Review has given Duckey and the Ocean Protectors a big thumbs-up. “’Duckey and the Ocean Protectors’ is sure to entertain many a young reader.” In addition to serving up a positive Duckey review on their website (which you can read here), the Midwest Book Review also submitted the review to the Helen C. White Library’s “Cooperative Book Center” and the Cengage Learning, Gale Interactive CD-ROM series “Book Review Index”. This is a wonderful opportunity because it means that more librarians and educators will hear about Duckey!

We’ve been receiving hundreds of creative entries for the Duckey Eco-Essay Contest. It’s great to read all this creative thinking from youngsters around the country, but we’re still waiting for yours! In 250 words or less, tell us:

1)    Why it’s important to save the world’s oceans and environments
2)    What kind of creature you would be if you were an Ocean Protector and the one special power you would have – like Kilo’s strength, Polly’s powerful puffing, and Denise’s whirlwinds.

If your essay is chosen, we’ll include your character – named after YOU – in the next adventure of Duckey and the Ocean Protectors. And your name will be featured as a contributing writer! How cool! So send us your essay by May 31st, and who knows? You could become a part of Duckey’s next exciting adventure! Click here to get all the details.

“Duckey and the Ocean Protectors” by John Sexton is a fun way to show young readers that they can make a difference to protect the oceans.  We really liked the bright illustrations.  It is books like these that can help us create a new generation of Ocean Protectors.  Mahalo for your inspiring work!”

– Captain Paul Clark
President, Save Our Seas

These days, it seems a lot of parents choose to park their kids in front of the TV before bedtime instead of reading them a book. What a shame. I remember my parents reading to me every night. It fueled my love for books and reading, and even inspired me to write my own children’s book. There are so many glaring positives about reading before bedtime that it’s hard to see why anyone would choose not to. Reading is a great way to spend one-on-one time with your child, it gets them interested in books at an early age, and helps to improve their literacy and language skills. According to the U.S. Department of Education, children who are read to on a regular basis are more inclined to pick up a book to read by themselves and are more likely to count past 20, write their own name, and recognize letters by the age of five. What an incredible head start reading gives to children! So instead of flipping on the TV tonight, curl up with your child and a good book and ignite their passion for reading. Who knows? They might grow up to be an author like me!

How neat is this? 12-year-old Max Wallack was the grand winner of Design Squad’s Trash to Treasure contest. His invention? A homeless shelter made from trash! The shelter’s frame is made from wire and the walls are made from plastic filled with packing peanuts, which provides a layer of insulation. His inspiration for this winning invention was a trip to Chicago, in which he saw many homeless people living on the streets. Ever since then, he’s had a desire to help them out. Check out the final product here. It’s great to see a contest aimed towards encouraging kids to invent environmentally friendly gadgets and even greater to hear about a kid with such a huge “green” imagination. Great job, Max!

Spring is my favorite time of the year. Sure, it gets a little rainy sometimes, but I love seeing how Mother Nature magically brings everything back to life in just a few short months. The trees’ bare branches start sprouting beautiful leaves. The grass grows out of its dull brown color and into a bright green. And the animals emerge from their winter habitats and become active all around us. While the groundhog said that we still have a couple more weeks until spring, there are hints of spring everywhere. My weatherman even said it was going to be in the 60’s at the end of the week! That’s the perfect weather to take the dog for a walk, play soccer with some friends, or head to the park for a bike ride. It’s fun to notice the changes that Mother Nature is making around us. What kind of things have you noticed where you live? Is the weather warmer where you are? Are the birds chirping outside your windows in the morning? Is the sunset getting later? Send me a picture or a comment so that I can see and hear about what spring looks like in your backyard!

Have you ever caught yourself doing something that your father does? Or been told that you act just like your mother? Whether we are conscious of it or not, most of us pick up on our parents’ habits and behaviors and begin to incorporate them into our own day-to-day routines. In “Duckey and the Ocean Protectors”, I encourage kids to seek out positive role models, and what better role models than our parents? Because kids are so impressionable, it is important to be mindful of the things we do and the choices we make, especially when it comes to the environment. Start recycling. Carpool to work or to the next soccer game. Turn off the lights when you leave the room. Turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth. Being environmentally conservative is easier than ever and is so important if we want our children’s children to live in the same beautiful world that we do. Implementing these small behaviors may seem insignificant, but becoming a “green” role model can set our children up for a lifetime of eco-friendly habits.