When her 7-year-old daughter, Lauren, was having a difficult time learning to read, Kathy Mazur did what any concerned mom would do - she thought of a creative and fun way to look at reading. This children's book follows the daily activities of two Mallard ducks and their interaction with their human friends. Part photography, part animation, this unique tale also included in-depth research about Mallards and is a useful learning tool for parents and teachers.

It’s Springtime in my Backyard (age 4-8)

By Kathy Mazur

Spring Ducks Books (2005)

Reviewed by Jennifer Imparato for Reader Views (1/06)

This book is an amazing ‘learn to read book’. It is the story of a child and her interaction with two ducks at the beginning of spring. The story is written in short sentences that children can understand which are accompanied by real photographs and drawings that illustrate what the words are explaining.

At the end of the story, there is information about male and female mallards, as well as pictures of other animals and plants that signal the beginning of spring. This book also includes a CD, on which the child the book is written about (Lauren Mazur, age 7) reads the book.

I would recommend this book to any parent with a young child. It’s not only a fun story for beginning readers, but it’s also a lesson about mallards as well. That’s like two lessons in one story.