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  • The Duck Can't Sleep by E. B. White book cover
  • The Duck Can't Sleep by E. B. White book cover
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The Duck Can't Sleep

by E. B. White

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A sleepless walk around the reservoir

$19.77 USD
$32.96 USD $19.77 USD
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AlbakiReads Editorial

A sleepless walk around the reservoir

Based on an E. B. White poem first published in The New Yorker in 1928, this picture book brings a nighttime encounter to Central Park: a child and a wide-awake duck circle the reservoir, both still up long past bedtime. The setting joins urban park life with the quiet presence of nature, while the question of what keeps the two wanderers awake leaves room for imagination. Melissa Sweet’s illustrations accompany White’s poem in its first appearance as a book. The result is a nature-centered bedtime story built around an unusual meeting and the shared experience of being unable to sleep.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Children ages 4–8 interested in picture books about animals and nature.
  • Families seeking a bedtime story set in New York’s Central Park.
  • Readers curious about E. B. White’s work beyond his novels.

Themes

Nighttime and sleeplessnessNature in an urban settingImaginationAnimals and human companionship

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Even the most restless reader will find peace and quiet in this breathtakingly illustrated book about the magic of nature, nighttime, and a duck who can't sleep, based on a poem by the renowned author of Charlotte's Web, E.B. White, which was published in The New Yorker in 1928 and now appears for the first time in book form.

How surprised I was to see

A duck as wide awake as me.

Long past bedtime, two creatures sleeplessly wander around and around the reservoir in New York's Central Park. What woes and wonders keep them awake so late?

Based on a poem originally published in The New Yorker by the legendary author E.B. White, and marvelously illustrated by two-time Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet, the book you hold is a love letter to nature in unlikely places, a testament to the power of imagination, and a balm to restless readers everywhere.

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In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

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