Glenda Millard is the author of many acclaimed novels and picture books, and Stephen Michael King has illustrated, written and designed many wonderful books for children. This book grew from a poem Glenda wrote when Stephen and Glenda were preparing their contribution to the Hush Treasure Book for the Hush Foundation. They developed the words and pictures for this story together when Stephen was doing a residency at Manning Regional Art Gallery. Their picture book The Duck and the Darklings was Winner of the 2016 WA Premier's Books Awards - Children's Book Category, shortlisted for the 2015 CBCA Picture Book of the Year Awards, the 2015 NSW Premier's Literary Awards, The Wilderness Society's Environmental Award for Children's Literature, and selected by the International Youth Library as a White Raven 2015 book.