Module 2: Make Way for Ducklings

Book Summary

In this Caldecott award-winning book, two ducks, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard, are looking for a nice home to live and hatch their ducklings. Mrs. Mallard was not satisfied with the places they had found so far, wanting a place that was safe for her family, but they soon needed to take a break from flying and decided to stop in Boston’s Public Garden for the night. The next day, people threw peanuts to Mr. and Mrs. Mallard, and they really started to like the Public Garden until a fast-paced bicyclist whizzed by, almost running the ducks over. Of course, Mrs. Mallard became worried for the safety of her family, so they decided to leave the garden and continue looking for a home elsewhere. They finally found an island in the Charles River, which was not far from the Public Garden. After finding their new home, they met Michael the policeman, who fed peanuts to the ducks every day, and they soon also had eight ducklings that hatched.

One day, Mr. Mallard decided to explore the rest of the Charles River, and he told his family to meet him in the Public Garden in one week. Mrs. Mallard taught the ducklings all they needed to know to make the trip to the Public Garden, including how to swim and walk in line. But once they started their journey, they came upon horrible traffic on the highway. Luckily, Michael the policeman heard the ducks quacking and came running to stop traffic so the ducks may cross the street. Michael also called upon another police car to come and assist the ducks with crossing Beacon Street in order for the ducks to make it to the Public Garden safely. A lot of people stopped and stared at the ducks as they waddled down the street. And, with the help of the policemen, the ducks made it to the garden to be reunited with Mr. Mallard, who was waiting for his family. They swam across to an island in the middle of the Public Garden’s pond, and they liked it so much, they decided to stay there.

APA Reference of Book

McCloskey, R. (1941). Make way for ducklings. New York, NY: The Viking Press.

Impressions

I think this is a simple, yet enjoyable, story that has endured since it was first published in 1941 because of its realistic illustrations that show a lot of movement and emotion, its strong sense of place, and the problems Mr. and Mrs. Mallard face—problems about finding a home and seeking safety and comfort with which any human family can relate. This story obviously shows its age, though, most notably via its illustrations. I think this book is very beautiful, but it looks different from most modern picture books because it was created with lithographic crayon on zinc plates (Marcus, 1998). As a result, the picture book has no color. Although these illustrations are engaging to me, many kids today may initially find this old-fashioned look boring, unattractive, and unfamiliar.

At the same time, I think this book has what it takes to hook children from any generation upon reading the story and spending more time with the illustrations. For instances, the illustrations are very life-like; Robert McCloskey actually studied ducks for two years prior to publishing the book (Marcus, 1998), and he even bought live ducks to keep in his apartment and closely observe for a couple of weeks to improve his drawings (Isaac, 2004). Plus, children are often very interested in animals at a young age, so these characters can grab and capture their attention, regardless how long ago the book was written. This book is simple, yet endearing, and as a result, I think this book still is, and will continued to be, loved by both children and adults for a long time to come.

Professional Review

A response to Make Way for Ducklings comes from Kirkus Reviews (1941) online:

I've seen only three double spreads and the text of this picture book by the author-artist of Lentil -- but I'm sure it is going to be an enchanting and very original book. Mr. Mallard thinks the Boston Public Gardens would be a nice place to raise a family; but Mrs. Mallard is afraid of the swan boats, though the peanuts tempt her too. So she makes her nest near the River Charles, and agrees to meet Mr. Mallard in the Public Gardens when the ducklings have had some training. The time comes; she sets out with the ducklings stringing along behind her. It takes the Boston police department to get them across the streets, but get there they do, and reach the Public Garden pond in safety. (para. 1)

Library Uses

This book could be used in the library setting for a preschool storytime that focuses on the theme of ducks. Along with one or two other titles, this book could be read aloud to the preschoolers to reinforce the theme. This book would work well to reinforce the storytime theme because the illustrations of the ducks are so realistic and true to life; the librarian can utilize the book to show examples of what real ducks look like, what sorts of behaviors they have (flying, swimming, diving, laying eggs, etc.), and what sounds they make. While reading the book, the librarian can ask the kids to repeat the sounds the ducks make. After the story time, the librarian can create a craft that is inspired by Make Way for Ducklings, like creating duck puppets. The librarian can provide copies of pictures of ducks and ducklings that look like those from the book, the preschoolers can color and cut out the pictures (as a means to practice eye-hand coordination), and then the preschoolers (with help from library staff and their parents) can glue the ducks onto popsicle sticks to complete the puppets. With the puppets, the kids can recreate the story they were told during storytime, or they can come up with their own stories about ducks. 

References

Isaac, M. (2004). Remembering a legend: The life and works of Robert McCloskey.  
          Children & Libraries, 2(1), 31-34. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/alsc/compubs
          /childrenlib  

Kirkus Reviews (1941). Editorial reviews [Review of the book Make way for ducklings, by 
          R. McCloskey]. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com

Marcus, L. S. (1998). A Caldecott celebration: Seven artists and their paths to 
          the Caldecott Medal. New York, NY: Walker & Company.