The Tale of the Mandarin Duck cover art

The Tale of the Mandarin Duck

A Modern Fable

Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Tale of the Mandarin Duck

By: Bette Midler, Michiko Kakutani
Narrated by: Bette Midler
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £2.99

Buy Now for £2.99

Only £0.99 a month for the first 3 months. Pay £0.99 for the first 3 months, and £8.99/month thereafter. Renews automatically. Terms apply. Start my membership

About this listen

Inspired by the real-life rainbow-colored Mandarin Duck who appeared in New York’s Central Park in 2018, this modern fable by Bette Midler celebrates the connections people make with each other and the world around them.

How do you get people to appreciate what is right in front of them? In The Tale of the Mandarin Duck, it takes a mysterious, beautiful duck and a clear-eyed kid to point out the obvious! This audiobook will have listeners of all ages coming back to visit the fantastical interpretation of New York City and its odd ducks—both feathered and human.

An afterword by Ms. Kakutani adds details to the facts behind this one-of-a-kind story of the Mandarin Duck.
Action & Adventure Animals Animals & Nature Fiction Geography & Cultures Literature & Fiction New York China

Listeners also enjoyed...

Stranger on the Beach cover art
Alec Guinness Hated Star Wars or How I Became a Famous Star Wars Fan: A True Star Wars Story cover art
Better Living Through Birding cover art
Congratulations, by the way cover art
Keith Haring Journals cover art
A Silenced Voice cover art
The Gifts of Reading cover art
Be a Birder cover art
Around the World in 60 Seconds cover art
Between the Stops cover art
Watching Neighbours Twice a Day... cover art
James Acaster's Guide to Quitting Social Media cover art
Becoming Duchess Goldblatt cover art
Six Stories cover art
History Is False cover art

Critic reviews

Midler has crafted a loving ode to the people of New York…. A celebration of beauty—in a city, in its people, and in an extraordinary avian visitor.” –Kirkus Reviews, starred review

This story is rooted in reality yet slyly surreal…. There is a crackling creative synergy among the book’s collaborators, each of whom contributes bountifully to the storytelling.” –Publishers Weekly, starred review
All stars
Most relevant
the hidden message is so true in today's society enjoyable story with morals by my favourite Lady. ette Midler

the hidden message

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.