Dick the Delightful Duck
Kaye Umansky and Ben Mantle
Alison Green Books

Dick the Duck has been dubbed a delight by all who know him. Polite, considerate and thoughtful, a wonderful listener, cheerer-upper and fantastic friend. Then one day, he isn’t. When he rises one morning he feels at odds with himself – cranky, grouchy and ready to snap at anyone that dares to cross his path including his unsuspecting cat companion.
Stamping and stomping, off he goes down the street, ignoring friends, jumping the bus queue and then occupying a seat he wasn’t entitled to before storming off at his destination and striding past everybody.

His pals are puzzled but rather than being equally unpleasant in return, they realise that everybody has an occasional bad day and decide, “We’ll do for Dick Duck what Dick Duck does for us.” And so they do. Duck is treated to kindnesses galore until little by little his frown becomes a smile and he’s back to his usual self and ready to apologise.

He even invites his pals over for a meal that evening (after he’s said sorry to his moggy and done a bit of furniture moving in his bedroom, that is).

Kaye Umansky’s rhyming text bounces – or should that be – waddles – merrily along and reads aloud well so long as you can get your tongue round those Duck Dick and Dick Ducks. Ben Mantle’s splendid illustrations of Dick Duck et al are an absolute delight – funny and bound to make you quackle. You’ll need to grab a copy of the book to discover what a quackle is, but it’s well worth so doing as it offers plenty for young listeners to enjoy.