Author Talk & Signing at Left Bank Books

MARTHA WHITE and MELISSA SWEET LAUNCH The Duck Can’t Sleep at LEFT BANK BOOKS

Left Bank Books in downtown Belfast invites the public to meet Martha White and Melissa Sweet on Tuesday, September 1 at 7 p.m. to celebrate that day’s release of The Duck Can’t Sleep, a charming book based on a poem by White’s grandfather, E.B. White. The poem first appeared in The New Yorker in 1928; this is the first time it has appeared in book form.

And what a special book it is! The Foreword, written by Martha White, provides lovely insight into how the poem came about and shares some of her legendary grandfather’s passions and habits—including his practice of walking around the reservoir in New York City’s Central Park at night to “[work] out his word tangles or life’s conundrums by perambulating.”

The Duck is exquisitely illustrated by two-time Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet (How to Write a Poem, Goldfinches, How to Read a Book, Balloons Over Broadway), who has also written and illustrated her own work.

Sweet’s colorful, whimsical, collage-like illustrations are spellbinding. The cover art alone “demands” that The Duck be displayed face out on bookshelves. The illustrator’s work graces every page of this small book and invites readers to linger, listen, and look.

Even the most restless reader will find peace and quiet in this enchanting book about the magic of nature, nighttime and, of course, a duck who can’t sleep.

The Duck Can’t Sleep is a small, comforting, huggable, and exquisitely illustrated love letter to nature in unlikely places and a testament to the power of imagination.

Reservations are strongly encouraged and may be made by calling Left Bank Books at 207-338-9009 or emailing: info@leftbankbookshop.com.

Ample free parking is available in front of the shop and in an adjacent city lot.