Duck, Death and the Tulip
by Wolf Erlbruch
trans. Catherine Chidgey (Gecko Press, 2008)
first published as “Ente, Tod und Tulpe” (Verlag Antje Kunstmann GmbH, 2007)
The characters of Duck and Death are beautifully illustrated but their poses vary little across the pages. The story itself is disjointed, hinting at deeper meaning but in fact offering nothing more profound than wistfulness and whimsy—the emperor’s award-winning new clothes.