Maria's Duck Tales: Wildlife Stories From My Garden

By Maria Daddino

A collection of memories from Maria Daddino as she presents animal tales from her home and gardens, with a touch of humor and poignancy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IndieReader
• Release date: May 10, 2011
• ISBN: 9781605943411

Maria Daddino

Mother, grandmother, passionate about native gardens, birds, wildlife and collies, writer, author, believer in fairies ... Maria, a passionate gardener and wildlife enthusiast, invites and welcomes all wildlife into her garden. Her extensive native and natural garden, certified as a wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation, has been on display in several East End garden tours. Maria lives in East Quogue with her collie Christy, her parrot Pablo and all of her "wild-friends." Maria writes a weekly community column, "From Fourth Neck," for the Western Edition of The Southampton Press. Her essays have appeared in The Press Box in both the Eastern and Western Editions of The Southampton Press, as well as in The Press of Manorville and Moriches. Her wildlife stories have also appeared in the South Shore Monthly, the Great South Bay Magazine and In the Eyes of the Wild: An Anthology of Wildlife Poetry and Short Stories.

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Reviews for Maria's Duck Tales

[jdc2012_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a delightful book. I found Daddino's book both delightful and educational. This is a great book to curl up with on a winter day and dream of summer. A great read.

[crazy_bunny_lady · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely love the book. Beautifully written.

[hairygromwell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This collection of short tales reveals the patience and love the author has for the wild creatures that have made her homes sanctuaries for both human and non-human friends alike. Some readers might fear that she anthropomorphizes the ducks and other wildlife that, through her repeated encounters over the years, have come to be familiar personalities and a great source of entertainment for her, given her penchant for naming them and identifying their personal quirks or speculating on their desires. However, the author reveals in glimpses how much she has researched the nature and needs of these creatures, in her very brief forays into , for example, relatively unknown facts about opossums (they eat snail and slugs and are "nature's sanitation engineers"!) or the reluctant but firm decision to intervene only when in the best interests of the animal, ever mindful these are not pets, but wild creatures. In the end, the collection turns out to be a sweet and lively introduction to a small community of wildlife that shared her home, and an excellent reminder that the world is full of more than men. That her wild home lay so close to a major metropolis is surprising, and hopeful. Recommended as a light, enjoyable read!

[mariadaddino · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"In the simple world of the garden, life tries to make its way through. "Maria's Duck Tales: Wildlife Stories from My Garden" is a collection of memories from Maria Daddino as she presents animal tales from her home and gardens, with a touch of humor and poignancy. Duck Tales" is a strong pick for wildlife-themed memoir collections, recommended." Midwest Book Review