None of the other ducks have feathers quite like Molly Quacker, whose feathers are as curly as can be. How she wishes they would stay flat! What ever will Molly do?
Isn't it funny how we want what others have, only to realize they want what we have? In this adorable tale, Molly tries to make her curly feathers straight, only to realize she is beautiful just the way she is, no change to her appearance necessary.
Author NoteDiane Barbera Haagensen wrote children's stories when she was a young mom, but she had tucked them away for years and years, thinking they weren't any good. When her granddaughter began making an impact in the world of writing, Diane shared this long-forgotten fact and decided to search for the missing stories. When she finally found them, she had her daughter type them up and shared them with her granddaughter to cherish and asked for feedback. She wanted to know if they were worthy of pushing and if her granddaughter could help bring her characters to life.
Her granddaughter agreed to help with editing, illustrating and the publishing process. The two did the best they could to discuss the book over email, but living in two different states made communication challenging. Diane had been hoping to visit her granddaughter in the fall, and they would have discussed these edits at this time.
God had other plans. Diane was a woman of faith and a strong fighter, beating brain and eye cancer multiple times and pushing through the best she could after losing her husband of sixty-three years in 2025. Her health declined quickly in 2026. Her granddaughter quickly drew a tentative sketch of Molly and sent a photo to her dad to show Diane. While Diane was unresponsive, her granddaughter knows the mind often sticks around after the body and finds peace knowing that Grandma knew about the progress in publishing her book.
Diane passed away in June 2026. Her granddaughter edited, hand-illustrated, formatted and published this story posthumously. This process was emotional and challenging, but her granddaughter took great effort to maintain Diane's voice throughout the edits, knowing these edits could not be discussed further. She hopes and believes Diane would be proud of this book the two of them brought to life, as its pages carry on Diane's legacy of creativity and love.
