Quackers is a cat raised by ducks so he assumes he’s a duck, even though he doesn’t like a lot of duck things (slugs, duckweed, water) and sometimes feels misunderstood by the other ducks. Then he has a chance meeting with a barn cat named Mittens and soon joins other cats in the barn, where he finally feels like he fits in. Not only that, but the food is better and chasing mice is much more fun than swimming. But eventually he starts missing his old life—even the duckweed—and, more important, his old friends. A droll, understated text accompanied by distinctive watercolor illustrations is full of charm, warmth, and gentle humor as Quackers realizes he can be both duck and cat, but most of all he can simply be himself. (Ages 2–5)