Following on from the huge success of Jez Alborough"s Duck in the Truck and Fix-it Duck , the irrepressible Duck returns for further adventures in Captain Duck. Duck has run out of petrol for his truck (a rather snazzy red number, incidentally) and decides to call on his friend Goat, who always has a supply of fuel and who surely wouldn"t mind if he "borrowed" some? Duck"s beady gaze falls upon Frog and Sheep preparing to set off on a pleasure trip with Goat in his motor boat. Like Toad in The Wind in the Willows, Duck is immediately convinced that this is "the only way to travel" and loses all interest in his beloved truck! While Goat"s back is turned, Duck commandeers the boat, appointing himself as Captain (complete with jaunty nautical cap, naturally) and speeds off with his reluctant crew. Of course, chaos ensues, with the friends getting washed out to sea and Duck discovering that he"s a landlubber after all. There"s also a subtle moral message in Duck"s come-uppance as a reminder to ask before taking anything! Written entirely in rhyming couplets that beg to be read aloud, Captain Duck is a humorous romp enhanced by Alborough"s colourful and lively illustrations. Ages 3-7 years.--Alison Drury.