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The Anchovy in Literature
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David Mamet, from The Duck and the Goat (1996)

The hero of this story in verse, intended for readers ages 4-8, is none other than one of Us. — The Schoolmarm

Written in whimsical and memorable verse reminiscent of the catchy rhymes and rhythms of children's classics, David Mamet takes the young reader along on a journey with "an angora goat and a muscovy duck who rode to work in a fire truck, but the press of traffic and the laws of luck, rendered them late for work". Instead, the duck and the goat take a boat and, upon losing their way, they encounter a Turkish sailor searching for his love, and a polar bear from the Ballet Russes. All is put right again by a clever and powerful Anchovy who evokes the Laws of the Sea, Chance, and Romance and uncannily saves the day.

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Illustrations © copyright 1997 by Annika Eklöf. All rights reserved.