Vaughan Duck

Book 3 in the Series

A Readers’ Choice Book Award Finalist

From the best-selling and award-winning author comes another larger-than-life adventure as these four friends become heroes for a day.

When the firefighters take the day off to test out the new waterslide, Luke and his friends jump at the opportunity to take over the fire department. They use their newly discovered firefighting equipment to help others in their community. Come along with these kind friends who use their big imaginations to be heroes.

Parents, teachers, young readers, and fire truck fans will love this imaginative picture book that empowers children to problem solve and help others.

Written by Ashley Wall
Illustrated by Vaughan Duck
Published by MamaBear Books 2025
Text & Illustrations copyright © 2025 MamaBear Books

Available online at Amazon AU and Amazon US, and Mamabear Books

Reviews

Young Luke gets the chance of a lifetime in Wall’s spirited third “The Day I Had” adventure, the follow-up to The Day I Had a Dinosaur. The town’s firefighters have taken the day off to frolic at the local water park, leaving Luke and his posse in charge of the fire station. It’s a big job, but Luke is up for the challenge, with a little help from friends Noah, Mikey, and Emma. As the crew sets out to safeguard their neighbourhood, they run into all kinds of problems, from a cat stuck in a tree to a popsicle stand on fire, but their willingness to work together saves the day.

As in Wall’s other books in the series, Luke and his friends seek out adventure that has a tantalising edge of danger, but their camaraderie ensures they can figure any problem out together. Even when Mikey tries his hand at driving the fire truck and accidentally runs over the station’s hydrant, Luke’s crew pulls together with ease, not only fixing the hydrant but refusing to assign guilt to Mikey—that’s an important lesson for kids who have tried something new and failed. Wall includes opportunities to learn unfamiliar terminology as well; Noah, whom Luke describes as “know[ing] all kinds of things,” explains that a fire truck’s ladder is called an aerial, sharing that it “can reach 100 feet in the air.”

Vaughan Duck accompanies Wall’s lively hijinks with bright illustrations that are packed with entertaining details, as in Luke’s dog Bobo, who rides along for the fun; readers will adore his amusing antics, whether he’s riding the wave of an out-of-control fire hose or stealing ice cream from Luke’s drippy cone. Wall’s chief message—that a helping hand from a friend can go a long way—makes this a sweet read, and she closes with a promise of more series fun in the future.
– Booklife

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