A quirky, heartfelt story about anxiety, friendship, and finding your voice. Ten-year-old Shady Cook struggles with selective mutism caused by anxiety. His best friend, Pouya, understands—despite being the class clown, he has his own hang-ups lurking just below the surface. Shady's parents, however, are eager to find a way to help their son start talking more, so when a live duck waddles into their lives and Shady starts to respond, they reluctantly decide to give Svenrietta the emotional support duck a chance. Before long, Shady, Pouya, and their diaper-wearing duck are working to help all of the underdogs (or is it underducks?) at their school—and there are many.

The city of Whitewater was named for the soft, white clay that lined the stream flowing through the area. Later it claimed the motto the Banner Inland City of the Midwest and, after that, Whitewater, the City Beautiful for its stately homes and large, graceful trees. Samuel Prince, the first settler, erected a cabin on his claim of 60 acres in 1837; a gristmill, sawmill, paper mill, and numerous stores were soon established in this rich agricultural area. The railroad came, and the manufacturing of the Esterly Grain Harvester and the Whitewater Wagon made Whitewater an industrial town. In 1868, the states second normal schoollater the University of Wisconsin-Whitewaterlocated here, further changing the towns character.