Central Park Mandarin duck will be the star of Bette Midler's new kids' book

There's light at the end of the 2020 tunnel: Next February, little readers can look forward to a new book about a NYC icon. 

Perhaps you recall the Mandarin duck—also known as "hot duck"—who set up shop in Central Park two years ago. The bird, who's native to East Asia, caught the whole city off guard with his arrival and turned his New York stay into a media sensation. Now, he's going to be a literary star—and will likely join the ranks of our 101 best books for kids. 

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Every winter, people flock to Central Park to see the first snow of the season. Now they're flocking for another reason: to see New York's most famous emigre, a fabulous Mandarin duck. @centralparknyc @nycparks

A post shared by Time Out New York (@timeoutnewyork) on Nov 16, 2018 at 2:26pm PST

Bette Midler will release The Tale of the Mandarin Duck with Penguin Random House in winter 2021. The picture book will include photographs from Michiko Kakutani and black-and-white illustrations from Joana Avillez. 

"The real duck’s visit to New York was a cause for celebration," Midler said in a statement. "Everyone who saw him fell instantly in love. I wanted to memorialize his visit, and let readers know that the natural world is full of creatures just like him, if we only take the time to raise our eyes and actually see them.”

Until the little fella gets more well-deserved time in the spotlight, check out our favorite kids' books about NYC and join us every day at 10am, Monday through Friday, for special virtual storytimes with the New York Public Library. 

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