Though Dodsworth manages to stop his capricious travel companion from adding waterfowl to the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, he can never prevent all the duck's mischief--and Egan's fans wouldn't want him to. Touring their fourth great city, the pair's back-and-forth is as priceless as usual, while the witty, understated ink-and-watercolor illustrations once again take in the sights--the Coliseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, etc.

Egan's understated, hilarious travelogue continues as Dodsworth and his duck pal explore Rome, Italy. The duck—still wearing an acorn beret from Paris (Dodsworth in Paris, 2008)—is the motor for most of the laughs. Standing beside colossal columns in St. Peter's Square, he comments dryly, "I feel smaller than usual." Inside the Sistine Chapel, he notes placidly, "That's weird.... There isn't one duck in the entire painting." Moments later, he's on the ceiling with white paint, remedying that omission. Ink-and-watercolor illustrations employ tiny smiles and minimalist expressions to underscore the humor. In a pizza-throwing contest ("You're good at throwing food," comments Dodsworth, and indeed, the duck throws things in every city), the duck sneaks Dodsworth's suitcase behind a table to stand on, never telling Dodsworth. A chaotic search for the suitcase yields nothing, and without the cash inside it, Dodsworth can't afford a hotel. They doze overnight on the Spanish Steps. Next day, they dine heartily on found money—until honest Dodsworth discovers that the duck "found" the coins in the Trevi Fountain. Is the duck a descendent of Amelia Bedelia, innocently believing that a flea market contains fleas and that "Rome" means to roam around? Or is he slyly "mak[ing] the trip a little more exciting?" Deadpan delivery means there's no way to tell, and that's the brilliance of the duck. May the journey continue. (Early reader. 5-8)

K-Gr 2 Dodsworth and his irrepressible travel companion, the duck, continue their world tour. In Rome, they see all the sights for which the Eternal City is famous, including the Coliseum, the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. Dodsworth has his hands full as his friend tries to paint a duck on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, enters a pizza-throwing contest, and takes coins out of that fountain, but he manages to make everything right in the end. This early reader is divided into four short chapters, each containing a mini adventure written in short sentences of fairly simple words. Egan includes a few terms to stretch readers' vocabulary, but their meanings are mostly discernible from the context and from the pictures. The format is the same as in the other Dodsworth books, with one picture and about six lines of large-font text per page. The illustrations are simple cartoons in ink and watercolor washes, and the famous landmarks are recognizable but not detailed. Although the story is mildly amusing, it is fans of the earlier adventures or children who have a special interest in Rome who are most likely to enjoy it. For others it is of secondary interest. Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT