Duck, Death and the Tulip
It’s bold enough to deal with death head-on in a picture book, but this German import goes a step further and personifies it as a skull-headed character that’s equally cute and creepy. The ominous words that open this story set the tone right off: “For a while now, Duck had a feeling.” Sure enough, Death is right behind her, and while Duck is understandably alarmed, Death reassures her that even though he’s close, he isn’t the one who ends things: “Life takes care of that.” Over time they become close in a fashion, engaging in cryptic conversations that touch on the afterlife and what gets left behind. Like all things, Duck eventually passes, and Death, “almost a little moved,” moves on. The spare design, in which Duck and Death are the lone figures in pages dominated by white space, emphasizes the somber resolution that’s not entirely comforting, nor should it be. Death is a profound and captivating subject even for kids, and this book deals with it in an elegant, understated, and dignified fashion. Grades K-3. --Ian Chipman