A Duck So Small By A.H. Benjamin - Goodreads

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Jump to ratings and reviewsWant to ReadBuy on AmazonRate this bookA Duck So Small

A.H. Benjamin, Elisabeth Holstein

4.07Want to ReadBuy on AmazonRate this bookDuffle Duck is much smaller than all the other ducks who tease him, saying, "A duck so small can do nothing at all." They seem to be right, as evrything Duffle tries to do ends in disaster. One day, though, Duffle's small size becomes an advantage.
    GenresPicture BooksChildrens

24 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

 Book details & editions2 people are currently reading47 people want to read

About the author

Profile Image for A.H. Benjamin.

A.H. Benjamin

60 books8 followersFollowFollowA H Benjamin has been a children's writer since the mid-eighties. He has been published by Andersen Press, O.U.P, Little Tiger Press, Franklin Watts, Q.E.D and many other big publishing houses. He has written 34 books which have sold worldwide with 22 translations including Chinese, Korean, Turkish, Greek and Arabic. His books are very popular in schools and libraries. He currently ranks 345 in the UK PLR. Also some of his work has been adapted for radio, television and theatre. He lives in Lincolnshire with his wife, Trisha. They have four grown up children and four young grandchildren who have all been an inspiration to him.(Sources: Amazon.com author page, Little Tiger Press author page, Hachette Children's Group author page.)

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4.075 stars22 (37%)4 stars22 (37%)3 stars12 (20%)2 stars3 (5%)1 star0 (0%)Search review textFiltersDisplaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviewsLara Sorcha12 reviews4 followersFollowFollowMay 8, 2012This is a touching story which provides children with an important message. The main character in the story is Duffle, a very small duck who is teased by the other ducks for his size. The story deals with the topic of bullying and also explores how Duffle tries to change himself. Duffle symbolises that people are often unhappy with the way they look or they are unsatisfied with the things they are able to do. As the story develops, Duffle is searching for his identity. He tries to do many different things, however even though, for example; the Heron can stand in the water on one leg, Duffle cannot. This is an important message for children, as they should learn from a young age that each child is an individual and subsequently that each individual has different skills, abilities, and interests. What underpins this message is that differences should not simply be tolerated, but celebrated!The climax of the story occurs when a duckling needed rescuing as he was stuck in a tiny hole in the river bank. The ducks who had teased Duffle were too big to help the duckling… but Duffle, being so small, was the perfect size to help! Duffle rescues the duckling and both Duffle and the other ducks learn that being different is wonderful, and that an individual’s ability does not relate to their appearance. Profile Image for Katie Born.Katie Born25 reviewsFollowFollowMarch 31, 2018I chose this book because I used to read it as a child. This story portrays the important theme that everybody is important and can contribute to the world around them. The statement "a duck so small can do nothing at all" is repeated throughout the book, which adds a wonderful rhyming and repetition element to the book that I enjoyed. Also, the illustrations combined a pencil outlined sketch along with color, which is an interesting style of artwork that I have not seen in a book before. I thought that the illustrations were well done and contributed to the story line very well. This book was just as cute as I remember, and it portrays a great theme.
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Profile Image for Kay-Leigh.Kay-Leigh151 reviews8 followersFollowFollowFebruary 28, 2018My daughter loved this.
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Profile Image for Helen.Helen1,540 reviews40 followersFollowFollowJanuary 17, 2021This is a good book.MicahE6 reviewsFollowFollowFebruary 6, 2021DUFFLE cannot do anything. HE is just too small. At the end of the book, he saves the day for all of the ducks, and they appreciate Duffle. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full reviewProfile Image for Micah.Micah10 reviewsFollowFollowMarch 25, 2021DUFFLE cannot do anything. HE is just too small. At the end of the book, he saves the day for all of the ducks, and they appreciate Duffle.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full reviewProfile Image for Set.Set2,195 reviewsFollowFollowApril 25, 2025Little ones can do big things and it's not nice to bully others for being weaker and smaller than others.
    childhood
Profile Image for Sierra.Sierra55 reviews4 followersFollowFollowSeptember 3, 2012This book to me was adorable! The illustrations were simple yet they were vivid in detail and in tied directing to the book without any extra images or pictures. The story begins with the introduction of the duck called Duffle. Other ducks picked on him constantly due to his small size. They would taunt him with the saying, “A Duck so small can do nothing at all.” This made Duffle think real hard of something he could do to prove the ducks wrong. At the end of the book, a small duck ends up getting stuck in a tiny hole in a riverbank. Since all of the other ducks are too big to squeeze into the hole they are unable to get the baby duck. Along comes Duffle and he is small enough so he squeezes his little beak into the hole and pulls out the baby duck. All the other ducks cheer, clap, and notice that Duffle really saved the day! They exclaim, “A duck so small CAN do something after all!” This is a great story of determination and a way for those who may be a bit different in size or looks to realize that there is nothing wrong with them.Profile Image for Nicole.Nicole55 reviews1 followerFollowFollowSeptember 3, 2012This is a perfect book to read to first grade students. In the story the main character—a duck named Duffie—is much smaller than all his other duck friends. In the book he tries to prove that he is just as big and brave as his friends but he falls flat every time. Just when he gets discouraged he hears the ducks calling in alarm from the other side of the riverbank. When he went over to see what was going on the big ducks told him that one of the little ducks got stuck in a small crack where the rocks meet the riverbank. All of the ducks were trying to get him out, but the opening was too small. Just then, Duffie gave it a try and saved the small duckling. After that day none of the big ducks ever teased Duffie since he had saved the baby duckling. Profile Image for Asmaa.Asmaa12 reviewsFollowFollowNovember 9, 2014A Duck So Small is a well illustrated book about a duck called Duffle who is trying to find out what he can do. As he is smaller than the rest of the ducks, Duffle tries to copy other small birds but with no success and the other ducks laugh at him. At the end of the story, Duffle uses his small beak to rescue a trapped duckling, and realises that a small duck can be useful after all.This story is ideal for EYFS/KS1. As a story for the whole class, it shares the idea of not giving up and to perservere. Also, there is an important message, teaching children that everyone is different but we are all useful in different ways, just like Duffle was at the end of the story.
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Profile Image for Asho.Asho1,865 reviews13 followersFollowFollowJune 27, 2021A sweet little book for my smallest "duckling". She's just an infant so couldn't share her opinion on this one yet, but I thought it was very cute.ETA June 2021: I upped this one's rating to 5 stars because F (now 3) likes it so much. Her daddy reads it to her by substituting her name into the story instead of the small duck's name, and he pretends that each of the other bigger characters is someone from our family (him, me, S, L). F loves to tell us all she's not too small ("pall", she says) so she very much relates to this book as the littlest one in our family. She likes us to read it often, but only if we read it with her name in it "the daddy way".
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Lindsey74 reviews1 followerFollowFollowOctober 9, 2013This is a great book for early-childhood children. It sends a great message, teaching children that even though somebody may look different, they still have something special about them. This would be a great book to read to students at the beginning of the school year to help them understand that everyone should be treated fairly and equally.
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Profile Image for Saima.Saima4 reviewsFollowFollowMarch 20, 2013A fantastic and amazing book for childrenI read it to children, they loved it and so did I!Great to enhance the imagination and vocabulary of children Profile Image for Markus.Markus248 reviews3 followersFollowFollowApril 17, 2013I wish the duck would try something by himself before bragging to the other ducks what he could do. It would save him alot of pain.Reading this to the orphanage today. We'll see how they like it.Profile Image for Haley.Haley75 reviewsFollowFollowNovember 13, 2013This is a cute book about a small duck who is trying to figure out what he can do. At the end he is able to rescue a baby duckling because of his small size.
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Profile Image for TwoDrinks.TwoDrinks504 reviewsFollowFollowAugust 10, 2016It's about bullies and how everyone has a value, no matter whether they're different to the rest of their peer group. Great message, just not that enjoyable to read aloud.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews

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