Left Bank Books, in downtown Belfast, invites the public to meet Martha White and Melissa Sweet on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m., to celebrate that day’s release of The Duck Can’t Sleep, a charming book based on a poem by White’s grandfather, E.B. White. The poem first appeared in The New Yorker in 1928; this is the first time it has appeared in book form.

The Foreword, written by Martha White, provides insight into how the poem came about and shares some of her legendary grandfather’s passions and habits—including his practice of walking around the reservoir in New York City’s Central Park at night to “[work] out his word tangles or life’s conundrums by perambulating,” according to a Left Bank Books news release.

The Duck is illustrated by two-time Caldecott Honoree Melissa Sweet (How to Write a Poem, Goldfinches, How to Read a Book, Balloons Over Broadway), who has also written and illustrated her own work.

"The Duck Can’t Sleep is a small, comforting, huggable, and exquisitely illustrated love letter to nature in unlikely places and a testament to the power of imagination," said the news release.

Reservations are strongly encouraged and may be made by calling Left Bank Books at 207-338-9009 or emailing info@leftbankbookshop.com.

"Ample free parking is available in front of the shop and in an adjacent city lot," said Left Bank.