Make Way for Ducklings

Bibliography:

McCloskey, Robert. 1965. Make Way For Ducklings. New York: Viking Press. ISBN: 0670451495

Summary:

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are looking for a home, and as they fly over Boston, nothing seems quite right until they find an island in the river. Their eight ducklings hatch, and soon Mrs. Mallard takes them on a trip to the Boston Public Garden. But there are busy streets in their path, and the cars just won’t stop! A friendly policeman halts the traffic and the ducks – all in a line - proudly cross the street. They decide to live in the park, where people feed them peanuts.

Analysis:

This book has been popular since its first printing in 1941, and a statue of the ducks now stands in the Boston Public Garden. Kids will enjoy this classic story of the eight little ducklings with names that rhyme. The plot is simple, and the most exciting part is the few pages where the ducks cross the highway.

The text is not evenly distributed between pages, but the balance of text and illustrations is appropriate. The illustrations are beautifully done in sepia, and provide lots of detail. The ducklings, in particular, are shown with various facial expressions and actions. To make his drawings realistic, McCloskey actually brought a family of ducklings to live in his apartment.

Reviews/Awards:

The book won the Caldecott Medal for excellence in illustration

"One of the merriest picture-books . . . told in very few words with a gravity that underscores the delightful comedy of the pictures--fine large pictures, strongly drawn, with a wealth of detail".--The New York Times

Connections:
*Find Boston on a map. This is an ideal book to study for children who live in or are going to visit Boston, as the book talks about specific landmarks and streets. Others can discuss ducks and animals they have seen in their own city.

*Other books dealing with animals in the city:
City Animals by Elizabeth Austin
Chester Cricket’s Pigeon Ride by George Selden