“You’re giving me a duck?”
“You liked it, didn’t you?”
“Of course.” Who wouldn’t like a fluffy little duckling? “It’s a dear little thing,” she said. “They’re no trouble. You just feed them and so on. And they’re good things to have in the garden.”
When Flip’s friend Duncan gives her a newly hatched duckling, Flip has no idea of the trouble she’s in for. After all, who could have thought that such a small animal would be so demanding of her time? This is no ordinary duck – it seems to be able to direct her telepathically to do its bidding. When Flip finally shares her problem with Duncan, he confesses that he’s having the same problem with his own duck. Together they search for a solution to the problem.
The Ducktators is a humorous look at the impact of some out of control pets taking control of their owner’s lives. Many young pet owners will realise it isn’t too much of a stretch on reality – with lots of spoilt pets able to manipulate their owners into doing their bidding. At 50 pages in length, it is a fairly quick read and so appealing for reluctant readers.
A clever offering.
The Ducktators, by Sally Odgers
Lulu, 2007