Review: Louie Finds a Friend (A Louie the Duck Story)

 

Louie Finds a Friend (a Louie the Duck Story)
written by Vivian Zabel, illustrated by Jeanne Conway
reviewed by Shawn Simon

 

Louie Finds a Friend, by Vivian Zabel, tells the story of a lonely little duck who has an unusual love of riding waves. None of the other ducks want to ride waves with poor Louie. They think it’s weird, so Louie is afraid he will have to ride waves alone forever and never have a friend. 

When Louie’s parents tell him about a new young goose moving to their lake, he’s not so sure he wants to be friendly. What if the new goose is just like the others and doesn’t enjoy Louie’s love of waves? But Louie is a good duck, so he promises his parents he will be friendly to the new goose when he arrives. Then he learns why Gus is coming to live at their lake and feels compassion and sympathy for him. He also learns how lucky he is to live in a safe, protected place. He never knew there were ducks and geese who were not that fortunate. 

Will Louie finally find a friend who loves to ride waves and doesn’t think he’s odd? Or is he destined to ride them alone forever? From this story, we learn that it’s okay to be different. It’s perfectly fine to like something our friends find unusual or strange. We have to learn to accept others as they are, even if their difference is something we may not understand. As someone born with a physical difference and who works with kids with learning differences, acceptance is important to me. Perhaps this little children’s book will help kids learn this lesson. 

Louie Finds a Friend encourages acceptance, friendship, and kindness, and the lovely, colorful illustrations add to the sweet story. The charming drawings show the emotions on the characters’ faces, which will help children understand the emotions behind the story. I highly recommend Louie Finds a Friend. 

Order Louie Finds a Friend @ 4RV Bookstore, through another online source, or from a brick ‘n mortar store.