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Dodsworth and the duck are off to Paris in the follow-up to Dodsworth in New York. The duck has a knack for getting into mischief (albeit inadvertently, for the most part), but Dodsworth has issued him a stern admonishment to stay out of trouble this time. The duck says he wouldn’t dream of getting in trouble.
The droll duo takes in the sights of the City of Lights, which is bustling with life. The duck admires a beret on a painter’s head and makes himself one out of an acorn. It looks like a beret, sort of, and Dodsworth pronounces it “very debonair.” The pair lunch at a restaurant where the duck practices his French, wishing the waiter “Bonjour” (although he calls it “banjo”).
The duck is soon busy pretending to be a mime and making paper airplanes out of all their money to launch off the Eiffel Tower. Of course, without any money, Dodsworth and the duck must now find a way to fend for themselves. Here the duck’s uncanny ability to land himself in trouble actually saves the day when the duck inadvertently turns a ho-hum painting into something valuable that can finance the rest of the duo’s stay in Paris.
This is another whimsical, off-kilter, and entirely charming book from Tim Egan. The watercolors are beautiful and soothing - Egan’s deadpan commentary provides the perfect counterpoint to the gentle illustrations. This is a book for pre-readers (the duck, Dodsworth, and the busy streets of Paris give one plenty to look at), beginning readers of chapter books, and adults alike.
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Dodsworth in Paris