Landing in a New Pond

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
Okay, our friends.

**Philip** (0:03)
Hi.

**Lisa Bueno** (0:03)
So today, we are reading a story for those of you who may have moved. Have you ever moved to a new place?

**SPEAKER_4** (0:11)
We did.

**Lisa Bueno** (0:12)
We moved from Southern California to the Pacific Northwest. Those are both along the coast, right?

**SPEAKER_5** (0:21)
Of America.

**Lisa Bueno** (0:21)
The west coast of the United States.

**SPEAKER_5** (0:25)
We're a west coast family.

**Lisa Bueno** (0:27)
We are. And so this story is for those of you who may, like us, have moved to a new place and have a hard time getting to know things. Getting to know your way. Finding a place to feel comfortable.
And sometimes the best part about moving with your family to a new place is your family.

**Philip** (0:47)
Yeah.

**Lisa Bueno** (0:48)
So let's read this story. It's called Landing in a New Pond. And this story was written by Marissa Ramel, and it's illustrated by Jennifer During.
And as usual, I will put the link for it on my Amazon affiliates page, so you can purchase this book.

**Philip** (1:04)
And it's read by Mommy and Philip.

**SPEAKER_4** (1:06)
That's right.

**Lisa Bueno** (1:07)
Follow along with us.

**Philip** (1:10)
Okay.

**SPEAKER_5** (1:10)
So the first thing we see is a little boy.

**SPEAKER_4** (1:13)
He doesn't look very happy.

**Philip** (1:15)
And he says, I just moved here and nothing feels like home.

**SPEAKER_5** (1:23)
Oh, man.

**Philip** (1:25)
But I've already made 41 friends. They don't play tag like Sebastian, and they don't make up songs like Madeline.

**SPEAKER_5** (1:36)
But in the picture, we can see what they are.

**Philip** (1:41)
They're ducks.

**SPEAKER_5** (1:43)
Cool.

**Philip** (1:45)
But their quacks are hellos, and their waddles are waves, and their nipples are noisy thank yous.
Each day we visit and I bring them food. I give extra to the hurt ones. Hoppity has a broken foot, and Buttercup has lost a lot of feathers.

**SPEAKER_4** (2:07)
She sure has, huh?

**Philip** (2:09)
That's sad.

**SPEAKER_1** (2:12)
Yeah, it's kind of sad looking, cause she looks like she's had them pulled out by maybe her babies, I don't know.

**Philip** (2:19)
I always make sure they're doing okay.

**Lisa Bueno** (2:21)
Even if my sister is no help at all, we can see the mom and then there's a baby sister, huh?

**Philip** (2:29)
Yeah. It's a good thing I'm here, I tell mama.

**SPEAKER_5** (2:35)
We can see him feeding the ducks with his blueberries.

**Philip** (2:41)
Oh, that's very sweet. As a duck doctor, I dole out medicine, watermelon chunks and sliced grapes.
That is until the nurse barges in, tossing kale chips like confetti in her hair. Everywhere, she's too little to do it right.

**Lisa Bueno** (3:02)
It's his little sister. And she is admittedly kind of making a mess, and the ducks are running.

**Philip** (3:10)
Pushing past her mess, I grab what's left and I carefully feed my patients.

**Lisa Bueno** (3:19)
The ducks look much happier with his gentle approach, don't they?

**Philip** (3:25)
Yeah, the ducks are happy I'm here, so I'm a little happy that I'm here, too.

**Lisa Bueno** (3:34)
But in the picture, we can see that the season is fall. And for those of you who know anything about ducks, migration is a thing, right?

**SPEAKER_4** (3:44)
Bye-bye, duckies.

**Lisa Bueno** (3:47)
In fact, it says, one day, Mama holds my hand and says, soon the ducks will move.

**Philip** (3:54)
Like we did, they'll fly south for the winter to stay warm.
Then who will I play with? The ducks can't leave?
I make a plan. If I feed them enough, they won't go. In a frenzy, I find their favorites. Fists full of oats, half a pint of blueberries and green grapes sliced up from yesterday's lunch, a watermelon that slips from my sister's slick grip, and plenty of kale. More for them means less for us.

**SPEAKER_5** (4:35)
Oh, I wonder if he doesn't like kale.

**Philip** (4:39)
Too bad.
For a buttercup, I even give my last cube of juicy cantaloupe. It's cold. I shiver, but I smile because my friends still nibble and they are not ready to go.

**Lisa Bueno** (5:00)
Oh, I see he's trying to keep them there.

**SPEAKER_5** (5:02)
Don't get your hopes up, sweetie, Mama says.

**Philip** (5:06)
But I can't help it.
One day, we wake to white. It's snowed. Emergency! I declare. I tug Mama toward the park. My sister, too, slow, sinks in the quicksand snow. Go!
I scream. And at the park's edge, finally, I break free.

**SPEAKER_4** (5:40)
And he does break himself, doesn't he?

**Lisa Bueno** (5:44)