Julie Andrews and her daughter are releasing a children's book about theatrical ducks

Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton are teaming up again for a children's book that is sure to make us quack a smile.

EW can exclusively announce that Andrews and Hamilton will release Waiting in the Wings on April 30, 2024. The mother-daughter team will co-write the book, while EG Keller is illustrating. The book follows a family of ducks that nest near a local theater and get swept up in the magic of performing.

"Believe it or not, this book was inspired by a real-life family of ducklings that hatched in the courtyard of Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor," said Andrews and Hamilton in an exclusive statement. "We just knew that these charming ducks, born on site at a theater, would make for the perfect story to celebrate the impact that arts and musical theater can have on young people."

Robin Marchant/Getty Images Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton

"Studies show that young people who are exposed to the arts are more confident and creative, and are more likely to succeed at school and in life," they continued. "That's why we support giving all children frequent access to the arts."

EW can also exclusively debut the cover for the forthcoming children's book. Check it out below.

Hachette Waiting in the Wings by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton

"Mr. and Mrs. Puddleduck have found the perfect place to nest: a cozy planter by a theater in a sunny seaside village," reads the description from the publisher. "While Mrs. P is warming the eggs, Mr. P is drawn to the spellbinding songs, fabulous feathered costumes, and dazzling dances he's secretly watching during rehearsals. He's even showing off some fancy new footwork to Mrs. P! But it turns out he's been learning much more than how to put on a show. When the chicks begin hatching right by the roadside, it takes a chorus line of parading performers — and Mr. P's clever choreography — to come to the rescue!"

Together, Hamilton and Andrews have written several children's books, including one illustrated by Hamilton's father, Mary Poppins' costume designer, Tony Walton. Andrews has also published two memoirs about her childhood and career, Home: A Memoir of My Early Years and Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years.

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