Hit the Ball Duck [Hardcover]

Jez Alborough (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Series: Duck

What does Duck know about baseball? Quite a lot, as it happens...

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. This brightly illustrated sequel to Duck in the Truck (2000) and Duck's Key: Where Can It Be? (2004) begins with Duck batting in a pickup game of baseball. When the ball he hits gets stuck in a tall tree, he tosses up his bat and a glove to knock it down, and soon all three are caught in the branches. At the story's outset, little Frog is dismissed as too small for ball with his bigger friends, but he surprises Goat, Sheep, and Duck with a clever play at the story's end. The rhyming text flows along rhythmically, while the illustrations dramatize the action and underscore the visual comedy of the narrative. This simple baseball story is a good choice for young children, who will empathize with Duck's difficulties and savor Frog's moment of triumph. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"This brightly illustrated sequel to Duck in the Truck and Duck's Key: Where Can It Be? begins with Duck batting in a pickup game of baseball. When the ball he hits gets stuck in a tall tree, he tosses up his bat and a glove to knock it down, and soon all three are caught in the branches. At the story's outset, little Frog is dismissed as too small for ball with his bigger friends, but he surprises Goat, Sheep, and Duck with a clever play at the story's end. The rhyming text flows along rhythmically, while the illustrations dramatize the action and underscore the visual comedy of the narrative. This simple baseball story is a good choice for young children, who will empathize with Duck's difficulties and savor Frog's moment of triumph." --Booklist

"Jez Alborough delivers another great adventure...an absolute pleasure...a favorite to be read and enjoyed over and over again." --Curled Up Kids

"This picture book does a great job of telling a story that's non-stop action! It's rhyming couplets and lively style will keep the attention of very young children and its use of onomatopoeic words (words that sound like the thing they describe) in large bold fonts makes this a great read aloud story...A great little book for your favorite little slugger!" ---Book Carousel

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Pub (March 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1929132964
• ISBN-13: 978-1929132966
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 10.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #808,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jez was born in Kingston upon Thames in 1959. He went to art school in Norwich and then set about entering the competitve world of children's books. Jez has now written and illustrated over thirty picture books for children, he was runner up of the 1985 Mother Goose Award with his first book Bare Bear. Jez lives in London with his Danish wife.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If your boy loves balls..., May 31, 2006

By 

Sydelle Jones "searchin' for all the best" (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hit the Ball Duck (Hardcover)

My son has a new obsession-balls. He loves his t-ball set. He nadders "ball, ball, ball, ball..." whenever he spies a baseball game or any other game involving a ball. So, I searched the bookstore for a book about balls that I liked, because I knew I would have to read it over and over again! This book has done the trick for us.

It appeals to all ages. It has the animals and the sound effects (swoosh, crack, bump etc.) that toddlers love. It is comical to my daughters, as the bossy duck is cute in his ideas for retreiving the ball, and ultimately is shut down with a YOU'RE OUT! It also teaches them the value of every team member. It appeals to me, because I get a chuckle out of an A type personality exhibited in a duck and the other group dynamics which we see in play groups everywhere! The little frog is run over in the beginning because of his size, but he plays 2 very important roles later on in the book.

The illustrations aren't prize winning but certainly aren't drab brown and/or black and white. They are simply fine. I consider them cheery.

All in all, I give it 5 stars because my different aged children all love it! I give them choices, and it is one of their "go to" books. So far, I haven't gotten bored reading it to them, so that counts for something too!

P.S. Using different animal sounding voices has really been entertaining as well!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stuck in the tree!, November 11, 2010

By 

Shirley A. Renaud "Shirley Renaud" (Reinholds. PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hit the Ball Duck (Hardcover)

We itentify with the entire idea of this story from riding in the car,carrying the cooler(and using it for unintended purposes!),and playing baseball, for us, at the park. We find the use of humanizing animals humorous and these illustrations are funny! There's a bossy duck, a timid frog and characters in between. Each finds their place and their specific "job". The story is predictable. The text is not. There's a plan-"Sheep, you catch it, Frog can shout, The ball's been caught,so Duck- you're out!' and "Hold still, croaks Frog. I may be small, but I can make your team more tall." and "Look!"cries Duck. We've wobbled the tree...!" The text, we laughed at! It is funny, and the story is funny! We gave this book a big hurrah!

3.0 out of 5 stars Not my favorite, November 6, 2010

By 

sm23 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hit the Ball Duck (Hardcover)

My son received this book as a gift. I did not think it was anything special, and after reading it once I had no desire to read it again. My son wants me to read it once in awhile, I think mostly because it is the only book we have about baseball. We LOVE to read in our house, and I think that love is encouraged by choosing only really great books, that everyone enjoys. If I don't enjoy a particular book, or my kids don't enjoy it, then it's not worth it to me, there are plenty of great books out there to not waste time with mediocre ones. I can't really put my finger on what I don't like about this book, it just wasn't anything special. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't really good either, it was just ok. I would not have spent money on it, if you want to read it I suggest the library.