- Illustrated Chapter Books
- Ages 7–10
- Comedy
Squirrel and Duck: Quack to the Future
Book 3 of 3 in Squirrel and DuckView the full series
A forthcoming origin-mystery adventure that looks set to answer why Squirrel and Duck can talk. Best for existing fans of the first two books, with taxonomy worth reviewing once published.
- Best for7–10
- FormatIllustrated
- Length272 pp
- Read aloud~3 hr50 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
- Onomatopoeic
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Absurdist
- Exciting
- Thought provoking
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Squirrel and Duck cannot remember where they first met, but Duck is troubled by strange flashbacks to a secret underground science lab. When they try to find the lab again, they encounter a friendly ferret, a very unfriendly scientist and clues that may finally reveal why they are the only two talking animals in the world. This third book appears to shift the series from pure comic caper towards a bigger origin mystery, while keeping the central appeal of bickering animal friends, absurd adventure and highly illustrated laugh-out-loud scenes. Because it is forthcoming, the exact balance of comedy, science-fiction mystery and emotional discovery should be reviewed after publication. For now, it looks like the most lore-building entry in the series: still silly, but with more interest in identity, origins and secret experiments than the first two.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 7–10
- Read aloud · 6–9
- Independent · 7–10
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
High
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Funny
- Secret lab
- Talking animals
- Origin mystery
- Reluctant readers
Avoid if
- Avoid forthcoming until reviewed
- Wants true graphic novel panels
- Prefers realistic stories
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Struggling with reading
- Interested in science
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A funny early chapter-adventure series — a great pick for newly independent and reluctant readers.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific weight is the flashbacks — Duck unable to shake images of a secret underground science lab, the duo unable to remember where they met, a friendly ferret and an unfriendly scientist appearing as the clues start to add up. The third Squirrel and Duck where the origin question finally surfaces.
- Friendship and belonging
- Secret world
- Being special or chosen
- Adventure and freedom
Why parents love it
The third Squirrel and Duck — origin-mystery shape adding lore to the buddy-comedy formula, scientist and secret-lab giving Percival sci-fi territory. Most lore-building entry; still silly, more interested in identity than the first two. Reliable mid-series.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
- Conversation starter
In the series
Squirrel and Duck.
3 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Tom Percival.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
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