Duck in the Truck by Jez Alborough

 I got home yesterday evening at about eight and was greeted in the kitchen by my youngest, who I was really, really hoping would be in bed. I don't know why, he never is. He was on his scooter and tied to its wheel was a shoe lace which in turn was tied to his trike. "Your turn to be the duck." he said. So as I am an Irish mother and therefore a mayrtr; coat still on and really wanting my dinner, I got on the trike and he "pulled me out of the muck."

I think a lot of us know this one off by heart. Duck in the Truck is hard not to remember. Ingeniously written, its a rhyming story about the Duck in the truck who gets stuck in the muck and those who help him; a Sheep in a jeep, a Goat on a boat and a frog, who we see first in a bush, but who ends up in the bog.

Its great mainly because the characters are quite unlikeable. The Duck is selfish and silly and couldn't care less what happens to his rescuers. The Sheep is the type of obnoxious driver who beeps loudly when he sees a car stuck on the road in front of him and the Goat..well actually, the Goat isn't so bad. He wakes from his nap and finds a rope to help.

Kids really love this book and because it is so cleverly written, its a pleasure to read aloud.

Here they all think about what to do. Hmmmnn.

And here's the goat, relaxing on his motor boat. The others are in the background, faffing about.

They get the Duck out and off he goes(without saying thank you.) 

"Leaving the Frog, the Sheep and the Goat...STUCK IN THE MUCK! "

An excellent book for ages two to five.