The Duck Can't Sleep by White, E. B.

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 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.

Author: E. B. White
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Published: 09/01/2026
Pages: 48
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.45lbs
Size: 7.60h x 5.70w x 0.40d
ISBN: 9780063304291
Audience: Ages 4-8

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 06/15/2026
Kirkus Reviews 07/01/2026