Each year, the northern-born water ducks make a long, arduous journey to the warm shores of Taiwan for the winter, but it’s a perilous trip where they must do everything in their power to survive natural disasters and evade the threat of humans.
For the water ducks born in the north, they must escape the harsh winter by migrating to the warm southern country of Taiwan even though it requires them to fly for several months each year. Just as a large flock is setting out, they unexpectedly run into a storm and many of their group are sacrificed in the process. After resting and recuperating, they set out again but this time they hear a young girl on the sea crying for help. This suddenly puts them in a dilemma: they are afraid of humans but at the same time they can’t bear to leave her. What should they do? Will they set aside their fear of humans and help the young girl?
The book presents the process of the ducks’ voyage south in an anthropomorphic way, profoundly portraying the reluctant farewells between the ducks and their family members, as well as the heroic sacrifices they make on their arduous journey, and the friendship that blossoms between the animals and the humans. The author’s powerful, emotionally charged writing reflects his deep compassion for nature and his hope that young readers will treat animals and the environment with more empathy after finishing this book.