A very funny and philosophical illustrated chapter book by a bestselling author/illustrator pair about courage, true friendship and our most secret wishes, in which a lame duck takes a blind hen on a goose chase as they search for adventure and answers to some big questions. A duck spends her days limping around her backyard with the help of a crutch until one day a blind hen stumbles in, lost, and persuades the duck to embark on an adventurous journey. The duck will guide the hen; the hen will steady the duck's wobbly leg. They leave together for a place where their most secret wishes will come true. The pair come upon astonishing obstacles along the way—a wild forest, a cavernous gorge and many differences of opinion. The hen starts to wish she’d taken a guide dog rather than a duck! When the two finally arrive at their destination after all the hardships, they realize that their own backyard plus a little imagination offers as much adventure as a whole world. From the author/illustrator pair of Meet at the Ark at Eight “Hub’s standout debut in English… Delightful and deep.” Publishers Weekly, starred review

Prizes

Winner of White Ravens Award 2022

"A simple story for philosophical listeners, who will ponder the opening statement: 'The goal is in the way.'"—Kirkus Reviews

Ulrich Hub trained as an actor and now lives in Berlin, Germany. He works as a director for stage and writes plays, screenplays and children’s books, which have won numerous awards. Jörg Mühle was born 1973 in Frankfurt am Main and studied at the Offenbach School of Design and the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. He has been a freelance illustrator since 2000, and held a temporary professorship at the Fachhochschule in Mainz. Today, he lives in Frankfurt where he works as a freelance illustrator for book publishers, magazines and newspapers. He wrote and illustrated Tickle My Ears, Bathtime for Little Rabbit and Poor Little Rabbit.