Synopsis: Duck and friends go out to play ball. When Duck hits the ball, it lands on a branch and the game has to stop. The friends have plenty of ideas to get the ball down, but nothing seems to go quite as planned.

Review: In Jez Alborough’s latest Duck instalment - Hit The Ball Duck - Duck, Frog, Goat and Sheep decide to go out for a game of Baseball. First up to bat is Duck, who hits the ball with an almighty CRACK, high into the sky. When the ball lands on a high branch, the game seems to be over. Fortunately the four friends are not short of ideas and with a little team work they soon have the ball back.

It is easy to see why Alborough’s Duck books have been so successful: his pictures are detailed and attractive without being too demanding or overwhelming; his characters are loveable buffoons who always come good in the end; but most of all his verse is so simple and well written that it almost demands adults read it well to children. Whilst Hit The Ball Duck is not the best of the Duck series, it is a seriously fun read which will have young readers laughing as Duck and his friends struggle to get their ball back in an increasingly silly manner.

Teachers wishing to introduce or reinforce the concepts of problem solving, team work and perseverance will find Hit The Ball Duck an engaging and useful teaching tool.

2006-10-07