Children's book about a chicken and a duck standing side by side, with the title 'TWEEZERS & TONGS' at the top and the author and illustrator credits at the bottom.
Logo for Tweeters & Tones with stylized text and a green dollar sign in the center for children's book.

The Real Life Story

Welcome to the beautiful and fascinating world of an amazing Duck named Ping and her bestie, Peggy the Chicken.

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Illustrated and Written by 4th and 5th Generation Father and Daughter artists, Andrew and Abigail Tedesco.

Author’s Note

Dear Reader,

I first noticed the magic of "Tweezers and Tongs" while watching the birds in my own backyard in New Jersey. It’s amazing how nature gives every creature exactly what they need to thrive. The smooth bill of a duck is perfect for shoveling through the ground cover and for scooping up water. The pointy beak of the chicken is precise and strong. The Duck doesn’t wish she had sharp toes to scratch the dirt, and the Chicken isn’t sad that she can’t dive to the bottom of a pond. They are both perfectly designed for their own adventures. Ping and Peggy taught us so much and in return our family gave them love and comfort.

I wrote this book to show children that "different" doesn't mean "better" or "worse" it just means unique! Just like our bird friends, we all have our own way of "scooping," our own way of "pecking," and our own special tools that help us navigate the world.

Whether you are a "Tongs" person or a "Tweezers" person, I hope this story reminds you to stand tall, watch out for the foxes, and most importantly: always enjoy your mealworms!

With love,

A.

Woman sitting cross-legged on a multicolored carpet, holding a duckling, in a cozy room with curtains, a window, and a leather chair nearby.
Man wearing a camo baseball cap and a dark gray shirt, holding a small yellow duckling, outdoors with trees in the background.

It all started on the evening of May 8th. Abigail was taking a walk through Verona Park, NJ when a man walking his dog, asked if she and her friend could help him with this tiny lost duck that kept following him. Abbey searched and searched for her relatives but to no avail. It started getting dark, so she brought the duckling home to keep her safe.

Our lives changed that moment…

A sketch of a duck and a chick, the duck appears to be talking while the chick is looking up at it.
A white duck and a brown chicken near a water trough on a brick pathway with grass in the background.
A white duckling resting next to a brown duck under a bush with green leaves, surrounded by grass and fallen leaves.
A small, fluffy yellow duckling resting on a person's lap.
A person wearing a blue and white striped shirt sitting outdoors with a white duck and a brown chicken resting on their lap.
A group of children and an adult observing a duck in a small pond in a backyard garden.
Close-up of a bright orange starfish with textured skin and pointed arms, hanging with a background of grass and a wooden fence.
Line drawing for children's book of a duck standing with eyes closed, beak open, and surrounded by raindrops.
A young girl in a colorful striped tank top and black shorts standing in a small, kidney-shaped pond, smiling and raising her arms in the air in a backyard garden with plants, rocks, and a white house wall.
A small backyard garden with a pond surrounded by stones, a large bush, a small tree, and a window on a white wooden house.
A woman and a girl are working on a garden pond in a backyard. The woman is filling a bag, possibly with soil or gravel, while the girl is sitting on a colorful towel near the pond, observing. Gardening tools, potted plants, and buckets are visible nearby. The scene is sunlit with a white house and greenery in the background.
Line drawing for children's book of a chicken in the rain, with water falling from its eyes, a beak, and a crest on its head.
Close-up of a brown chicken with yellow eyes on a brick patio in a backyard, with green trees and outdoor furniture in the background.
A brown hen and a white duck resting among green plants and grass outdoors.
A white duck standing on a stone-paved patio near a small pond, with a hen walking nearby, surrounded by rocks and plants.
A white goose standing on a paved surface, with a Christmas-themed backyard decoration with colorful lights in the background.
A plush duck decorated with a Santa hat and bow tie, standing in front of a blurred, colorful Christmas tree with multicolored lights.
A white duck and a brown hen standing on snow with ice formations around.
Line drawing for children's book of two small birds pecking at leaves and the ground.
Drawing for children's book of a person's legs in jeans and boots with two ducks standing nearby.
Wild raccoon behind a wire fence near a tree with dry grass and rocks on the ground.
A wooden outdoor chicken coop with a fenced enclosure, a small window, and a water bucket. There is a colorful pinwheel and some plants nearby, and the area is surrounded by a wooden fence and trees.
A chicken nesting box with hay bedding and a single egg inside.
Children's book drawing of a chicken coop with a slanted roof, window, and an open hatch with feed inside. Two chickens are outside the coop, facing each other.
A wooden table displaying a basket of brown and white eggs, a tray of white eggs, a red sign reading 'Life is better with chicks,' and a clay pot filled with black, white, and brown feathers.
Two white bowls with raw eggs cracked into them, one with double yolk eggs and the other with regular eggs, placed on a black countertop with four more whole eggs behind the bowls.
Several eggs, some brown and some white, are in a nest made of straw inside a chicken coop.
A brown egg with the words 'PEEGY'S FIRST' and 'JULY 21 19' written on it in black ink, resting on a white textured cloth.

PING- aka TONGS

A close-up of a duck with a broken, dirty, and featherless body, standing on a wet brick surface.

PEGGY -aka TWEEZERS

A brown chicken standing on a concrete surface with some plants in the background.

MUCH LOVE!!

Andrew & Abigail

Graffiti art with the word 'QUACK' in stylized colorful letters, surrounded by abstract shapes and spray paint splashes.