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Make Way for Ducklings (Viking Kestrel Picture Books) (Hardcover)
by Robert McCloskey
| Category:
Picture books, Age 4-8 |
| Market price: ¥ 208.00
MSL price:
¥ 178.00
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| Stock:
In Stock |
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MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
Fun and educational, this timeless classic childbook is a treasure for all ages. |
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Author: Robert McCloskey
Publisher: Viking Juvenile; Library Binding edition
Pub. in: January, 1941
ISBN: 0670451495
Pages: 68
Measurements: 12.4 x 9.6 x 0.7 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BC00357
Other information: ISBN-13: 978-0670451494
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- Awards & Credential -
Winner of the Caldecott Medal in 1941. The author is the only illustrator that won two Caldecott Awards. |
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- MSL Picks -
Children naturally are interested in understanding a parent's perspective on the family. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard's search for a safe home for their future family makes a wonderful story for children and parents to explore and understand more about parental love. Although the book has a 4-8 age reading level, younger children enjoy having it read to them (based on the experiences of my four children). The illustrations are terrific and draw the child's interest very easily. Older children like to reread the story because of its comfortable connection to their more youthful years and reinforcement of their sense of being wanted, loved, and belonging.
To me, the best part of the book is that the locations are actually easy to find in Boston. So if you live in the Boston area or ever come here, you can also take your children to experience the story. I know my younger daughter thought that her first Swan boat ride in the Public Garden was the ultimate moment in her life (up to that point). She kept wanting to know which duck was Mrs. Mallard, and which one was Mr. Mallard. Then she wanted to spot Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack (my favorite name in the book), Pack, and Quack. I had a ball! There are also statues of Mrs. Mallard and her 8 offspring that the children can touch. There's also an annual parade that you can participate in.
If you don't know the story, here's a summary: Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were looking for a place to live where they could raise a family safely. Whenever Mr. Mallard found someplace he liked, Mrs. Mallard worried about foxes and turtles. Finally they got to the pond in the Public Garden in Boston, and were too tired to go on. So they spent the night on the little island there. The next morning they could not find much food, until the people on the Swan boats began to throw them peanuts. But the Mallards were almost run over by a bicycle, so they felt they needed a safer place. They tried several, but each had a drawback. Finally, they found an island in the Charles River not far from the Public Garden that met all their requirements. Michael, the policeman, fed them peanuts. Soon, Mrs. Mallard laid 8 eggs, and stayed to hatch them. After the ducklings were born, they learned to swim and walk single file behind their Mother. One day, she walked them towards the Public Garden. But they could not get across the highway. Michael spotted them and stopped the traffic so they could cross. He called Clancy at the station and told him to send a car to help Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings cross at the Public Garden. When in the pond there, they met Mr. Mallard on the little island. They decided to live there, and followed the Swan boats for peanuts after that.
I have enjoyed reading this story and reading it to children for almost 30 years. I look forward to reading it to my grandchildren when the time comes. It has also been my favorite book to give as a gift to new parents.
Enjoy the wonderful gift of warm family feeling in this book, and leave your stalled thinking about your cares and worries behind. It will remind you what is really important in your life!
(From quoting Donald Mitchell, USA)
Target readers:
This book works best for kids age 4-8, but is also good for kids of other age groups, including adults for its beautiful story and illustrations.
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- Better with -
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Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (Caldecott Medal Book)
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Robert McCloskey won the Caldecott Medal in 1941 for Make Way for Ducklings and again in 1952 for Time of Wonder, making him the first illustrator to win two Caldecott Awards. Declared a Living Legend by the Library of Congress in 2000, Mr. McCloskey has created a host of well-loved children's books, including Homer Price, Lentil, Blueberries for Sal, Time of Wonder, and One Morning in Maine.
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From Horn Book
This classic tale of the famous Mallard ducks of Boston is available for the first time in a full-sized paperback edition. Awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1941, Make Way for Ducklings has been described as "one of the merriest picture books ever" (The New York Times). Ideal for reading aloud, this book deserves a place of honor on every child's bookshelf. "Robert McCloskey's unusual and stunning pictures [have] long been a delight for their fun as well as their spirit of place."
(MSL quote)
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| View all 5 comments |
A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-08 00:00>
This is a loving tribute to Robert McCloskey, the author and illustrator of the best loved children's books, Make Way for Ducklings, Homer Price and Blueberries for Sal. McCloskey passed away June 30, 2003 at the age of 88 at his home in Deer Isle near Portland, Maine. His books focused on family experiences, small-town life, his island home in Maine and Boston. Boston was the setting for his 1941 book, Make Way for Ducklings. It's about a father and mother duck who leads their eight ducklings thorugh the busy streets of the big city. McCloskey a native of Hamilton, Ohio went to Boston in 1932 to study art when he watched some ducklings waddling through traffic. The book won a Caldecott Medal for best American children's picture book. There is also a bronze sculpture of the mother duck and her eight ducklings as a popular tourist attraction in Boston. McCloskey and his family spent summers on Scott Island in Maine, where he wrote Blueberries for Sal, One Morning in Maine and Time of Wonder. Time of Wonder won a second Caldecott Medal. McCloskey has left behind a rich legacy of stories that woven around American living and families, like those of E. B. White and A. A. Milne. This is one of the best children's classics I'd recommend to any parent.
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Lisa (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-08 00:00>
Robert McCloskey's classic children's book, Make Way for Ducklings is just as delightful in the year 2002 as it was back when it was first published in 1941. The timeless story of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and their eight adorable ducklings is still a fun read for children and parents alike. The story begins as the prospective parents search for a new home suitable for raising their young ones. Mrs. Mallard is clearly the expert in this endeavor and Mr. Mallard is quite relieved when she finally settles on a spot that is not too dangerous or noisy for their young family. The couple make themselves quite at home on a little island in the Charles River of Boston, a quiet oasis within the busy city. Soon the ducklings hatch and Mrs. Mallard sets about teaching them all they need to know in order to live in the city. By now they have made good friends with some of their human neighbors, especially Michael, the policeman. When the family makes its first trip into the city, Michael calls for backup and literally stops traffic all along their path. The people the Mallards encounter are just as pleased to see the ducks as the Mallards are to be there. The reader leaves the family settling comfortably for the night after a day of happily following the Swan boats in the park and eating the peanunts tossed their way. The charm of this book lies in both the heartwarming story and th realistic but idyllic illustrations. McCloskey is quite gifted at portraying the natural world to children in a way that is authentic and familiar. Most children have seen duck families in a nearby pond and witnessed the way the ducklings learn about the world by waddling along after their parents. The sketched illustrations add to the natural feeling of the book. The depiction of the ducks is terrific because they are visually expressive but still look like ducks. Another engaging facet of the story is the positive interaction between animals and humans. The Mallards find a way to live comfortably within a city full of people and their human neighbors are welcoming and accommodating. Overall, this a warm and timeless book. It is just perfect for a parent and child to read together or for a teacher to read to a classroom of younger kids. This is a good selection for children aged 3 to 7. |
Rebecca Penning (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-08 00:00>
This book explains a mama and papa duckling who are in search of the perfect spot to hatch their little ducklings. They search and search for the perfect spot until they find one particular area that seems to meet all of the classifications. They need to have enough water to swim in, a place that's not too dangerous, and a spot where there aren't such horrid things as bicycles flying by. They finally find the best location appropriate for bringing up their little ducklings. It's a cute little story that little children would be interested in reading. Kids would like the simplicity of the pictures which the author has chosen to use of sepia illustrations without any color. This simplicity goes right along with the easily understood text that younger children can relate to. The book explains that the mama duckling makes sure that her little ones learn all of the appropriate things they need to know in order to make it in the world. Some of these include: teaching her ducklings to comes when they are called and keeping a safe distance from dangerous things on the road. These little concepts are appropriate for the intended age level.
The story takes place back in the 1940's and this is explained by the type of illustrations used as well. The book also includes a policeman named Michael. It desribes him as a heavier man who feeds them peanuts. Michael also stops the busy traffic of Boston so that the little ducklings can pass through. Some critics may say that this is a stereotype of policemen. This might imply that law enforcement officials are maybe not in the best shape and that they might take the time to do meaningless types of activities that other people don't seem to understand. This is up to the adult to decide as they read this book to children.
This would be a nice book to share with younger students in the Springtime. It's yellow cover which symbolizes the color of ducklings is a good choice. The smaller size of the book is a good style to use for this intended age level as well. This book has made a lasting impression for the general body of children's literature.
In the classroom, let the children glue yellow cotton balls on their own pieces of poster board to create their versions of little ducklings. |
A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-08 00:00>
I am 45-years old and have been a voracious and intense reader all of my life ( I yellow-line every book that i have read). I am a Industrial Designer who works for a Research and Development company and I spend my hours behind the computer doing AutoCAD. After so many years, I reread Make Way for the Ducklings. Growing up in a positive household were the emphasis was place on reading, my earliest memories has been the books of Robert McCloskey. I can remember in Grammar school, I tried to draw like McCloskey. I would often spend my time daydreaming and imagine what it could be like flying in mid-air. Make Way for The Ducklings shows an example of a two-parent environment. The way McCloskey describes Boston during the end of the depression and just prior to World War Two, is within itself something to drink in. The fresh drawings of the automobiles moving in traffic, done in a rich conte crayon is what drew me to this book as a child originally and influence me as a designer. To be able to read in simplistic terms the responsibilities of Father and Mother Ducks who were in search for a better place to raise their ducklings reminds me of my very own Father and Mother.
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