Duckat

This unique picture book, an import from New Zealand, deserves high marks for freshness and originality. When Mabel encounters a strange duck on her doorstep, she greets it politely. ``Meow,'' responds the duck. `` `Odd,' said Mabel. `Very odd.' '' And the oddness escalates, as the bewildered girl tries to figure out this ``very different sort of duck'' that relishes such feline pursuits as playing with yarn, drinking milk and catching mice. She posts labels depicting various cats and ducks in hopes of clarifying matters: ``The duck changed the labels over.'' When the canny non-quacker is ``treed'' atop a lamppost, it decides to own up to its roots, and flies to the ground--`` `Quack,' it said.'' Taking wing from its nonsensical premise, Gordon's tale owes much of its loopy fun to her forthright, tongue-in-cheek telling. In an inspired--and unexpected--pairing, Gaskin's realistic art adds just the right touch of absurdity to these topsy-turvy proceedings. Ages 2-6. (Mar.)