Book Review: Duck, Death and Tulip By Wolf Erlbruch
For children and adults to broach the subject about life and death
Eloquence was the same words I had in mind with Meg Rosoff’s review of Duck, Death, and Tulip’s book.
Wolf Erlbruch, a German author and illustrator, wrote the book.
The storyline was so simple. It is about death. And it is a children’s book. It is aimed at early readers.
It is a BIG topic for a children’s book.
I love the book and have read it many times. One of my favorite bedtime stories.
I am amazed at how the author has taken this topic and spin it into a simple story. Life and death is such a morbid topic to discuss with children.
Most children would pick up a typical ‘Pinocchio’ type of book. Easy and straightforward storyline.
With Duck, Death & Tulip, ‘Death’ was portrayed as a talking skeleton with a long ‘Prada’ type of coat. He is a ‘classy’ bloke in this story.
He follows Duck around and answers all of Duck’s questions. Like a shadow but with a purpose. Sometimes the dialog feels cold and scary, sometimes it’s funny.
But the beauty is death is such a heavy topic, and the author has written it with a small dose of humor.
‘I’m not dead!’ she quacked, utterly delighted.
‘I am pleased for you,’ Death said, stretching.
‘And if I’d died?’
‘Then I wouldn’t have been able to sleep in,’ Death yawned.
How ironic of Death.
The pages continue to illustrate the many ways of discussing Death. Sometimes, it’s funny and sarcastic. Often sad but reflective. Hardly scary, but instead, each page gives a window to the readers to reflect on the moment.
While Death remains the theme of the book, I can’t help but think about being alive.
I thought about things I did, things I want to do, things I am doing.
I thought about food too, especially with this line;
“Some ducks say that deep in the earth, there’s a place where you’ll be roasted if you haven’t been good.”
The story scenes draw the attention of the reader’s perception.
It provokes the reader to question feelings, beliefs, value systems, habits, and even decisions.
Death is such a dreadful topic — should I fear it? should I embrace it like Duck in the book?
As the pages turn, the reader is immersed in the conversation between Duck and Death. It is almost as if the two are bonding, like good friends.
In the last pages, Duck even thought that Death is ‘really quite nice’ and even offered to warm him.
It does not make sense to a rational reader. We generally aim to avoid Death. We avoid talking about it. It’s like a taboo.
But this book allows the readers to hold a meaningful conversation with children and friends too.
It led me to share many beautiful stories and experiences with friends. We had a good debate over how we wish to leave this world, but eventually, it let us dream of many, many things we have yet to accomplish.
It led us to appreciate the company of each other. It made us grateful for what we have. We enjoyed the contemplative moment that life has to offer, and it brought us comfort that night.
Sometimes in life, we don’t need ‘Big Bang’ moments; a simple book like this brought rounds of merry moments of camaraderie. More importantly, I believed it showed me glimpses of hope among us.
We get up every morning, knowing we have this in us. And that’s enough to get by every day.
The most moving book I’ve read this year is the German picture book Duck, Death and The Tulip by Wolf Erlbruch, about the strange, uneasy friendship that develops between a duck and death, as the two move hesitantly towards a kind of comfortable familiarity. I can’t think of another book that tackles so huge a subject with such simple, heartbreaking eloquence. — Meg Rosoff’ review of the book, December 2, 2009
