Duck and Penguin Do NOT Like Sleepovers

Betty and Maud are terribly excited. There is to be a sleepover in the garden in a ‘teeny weeny tiny tent’, but their favourite toys, a duck and a penguin are not in the least pleased. In fact, they are miserable. Not only do they hate the idea of the tent, but they also hate each other! The girls don’t see the fisticuffs going on, nor Penguin tripping Duck, but are convinced that the toys are enjoying the outing as much as they are. When Maud and Betty have to go indoors to have a wee, they don’t return, and after a while, the two toys decide it would be better to go into the house too. But as it is now very dark, they get lost, and furthermore, there is something creepy out in the dark. What will happen? Will the girls find their toys in time? Imaginative illustrations are beautifully produced, and there is much humour in the story, but I did wonder in the end if Duck and Penguin had learned any lessons from their scare and if they had become friends. Not at all clear, and I suspect they still feel much the same about each other. Not a ‘moral’ lesson then, but a fun story about warring toys.