Petunia the platypus heads to her first party since arriving from Australia. She has the present, a party hat, and a pavlova, but it’s a costume party and she doesn’t have a costume! Everyone asks what she’s supposed to be: “Are you a duck?” “Do you have webbed feet?” “Can you lay eggs?” Even without a costume, Petunia stands out, and all of the other party guests give her a full-on identity crisis! Will she, with her weird quirks, ever fit in? For anyone who has ever felt out of place—from moving to a new country to moving to a new school— Quacks Like a Duck is a charming tale of acceptance and individuality that will have you laughing and embracing your own quirks and differences with pride. "Quacks Like a Duck, written by Stephanie Campisi and illustrated by Maria Lebedeva, is a charming story about the importance of self-confidence and not letting what others have to say affect you. Petunia is invited to a party (the problem is it's a costume party--a tiny detail she overlooked); when Petunia shows up sans costume, she is met with comments about her appearance. While people can sometimes be critical, Petunia learns that it's important to stand by your convictions no matter what others have to say. Learning to navigate social dramas is very much a part of the human experience, and this story serves as a great example of how to respond to teasing. With its messages about diversity and acceptance of one's similarities and differences, Quacks Like a Duck is the perfect read-aloud for children of all ages." -- Annemarie Riley Guertin, educator and author of Thundermaestro "A positively peachy tale. Petunia the platypus, a recent emigrant from Australia, complete with a present, a party hat, and a pavlova, is excited for her first neighborhood shindig until she realizes that it's a costume party and she's the only one not dressed up. What's worse, no one in the neighborhood recognizes what a platypus is. Instead, they insist she must be a duck or a beaver or an otter based on various parts of her anatomy. (Tough party, right?) Thankfully, when a duck, a beaver, and an otter arrive, stacked on top of each other, wearing an oversize coat, and announce that they are dressed as a platypus, the neighbors finally understand, and Petunia regains the confidence needed to declare that she's not a label, she's just her. Readers will love this delightfully odd tale, and storytellers will have a blast reading it aloud in storytimes. The artwork has a fresh vibe, and the characters pop from the white space of the page, making this a winning choice to share with large groups. Discussion leaders may find this a useful tool in helping younger children understand the value of not jumping to conclusions based on limited facts. (This book was reviewed digitally.)" - Kirkus "In this story about fitting in and welcoming others who are new and different, a platypus arrives at a costume party, but dressed as herself. The sleuthing begins to make sense of what appears to be an animal outside the norm until the quirks of all in attendance are celebrated. The hint into evolutionary biology makes this science teacher's heart sing." - SK Wenger, teacher and author "One of the quirkiest, smartest stories we've ever read" - KidlitStoryTime Stephanie Campisi is an Australian author living in the US. Her picture books to date include the Kirkus-starred Ugly Dumpling , Luis and Tabitha , Very Lulu , Five Sisters and Axolotls: Day to ZZZ . Quacks Like a Duck is her sixth book, and combines two of her very favorite Aussie things: platypuses and pavlovas.