Book Review: MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS by Robert McCloskey

Bibliography

McCloskey, Robert. MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS. Ill. by Robert McCloskey. New York: Viking, 1941. ISBN 0670451495.

Plot Summary

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard have flown a long way looking for a place to raise a family, far away from foxes and turtles, when they stop for the night on a small island in a pond in the Boston Public Garden. After not finding much to eat the next morning, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are ready to leave, when they spot a large swan pushing around a boat of people. The people in the boat throws peanuts for the ducks to eat and the ducks decide to stay at the pond. However, after a bicyclist almost ran them over, the Mallards decide to move on. They travel to different places around Boston until they find a spot on the Charles River and near the Public Garden to make a nest, hatch their eggs, and raise their ducklings. After teaching the ducklings to listen and follow, Mrs. Mallard escorts them through the streets of Boston to meet Mr. Mallard at the island in the pond at the Public Garden. Police officers along their route stop traffic to make way for Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings. After arriving safely to the pond, the Mallards and their ducklings live happily following the boats of people around and eating peanuts.

Critical Analysis

An enduring classic, MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS is illustrated with beautiful drawings tell a sweet story set in the early twentieth century. With brown shading and simple lines, Robert McCloskey brings to life the tale of a family of ducks trying to find a safe place to raise their family, which eventually takes them through the busy streets of Boston. McCloskey’s illustrations establish the setting as a busy city in an earlier time with enough details that those acquainted with Boston might recognize the familiar landmarks drawn on the page. The modest choice of brown for the drawings fits seamlessly with the background of the city, while providing enough details of the ducks to show texture in their feathers. The story itself is quaint and timeless, with illustrations that complement with a satisfactory amount of humor. 

Review Excerpt(s)

1942 Caldecott Medal Winner

From The Horn Book- "Robert McCloskey's unusual and stunning pictures have long been a delight for their fun as well as their spirit of place."

From Children’s Literature- "The quaint story of the mallard family's search for the perfect place to hatch ducklings. ... For more than fifty years kids have been entertained by this warm and wonderful story."

Book Connections

Other books by Robert McCloskey:

BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL. ISBN 0670175919

ONE MORNING IN MAINE. ISBN 0670526274

TIME OF WONDER. ISBN 0140502017

Other classic books that are Caldecott Medal Winners:

Burton, Virginia Lee. THE LITTLE HOUSE. ISBN 0812428080.

Keats, Ezra Jacks. THE SNOWY DAY. ISBN 0140501827.

Sendak, Maurice. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. ISBN 0060254920.

Activities for MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS:

• Observe and draw a picture of an animal. If it is an animal you can touch safely, use your hands to feel the animal’s texture and pay attention to details. Experiment with different methods of illustration and use MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS to get ideas for shading and shadows.

• Rewrite and illustrate a class version of MAKEWAY FOR DUCKLNGS. As a group, discuss what to write and assign illustrations individually. Have each student decide what to draw based on the writing portion assigned to them. Feel free to get creative. Your group could decide to write and draw about a family of elephants walking from the zoo to a park and how the city might react. Or what if you changed the setting to Africa or Asia, where elephant sightings are in their own habitat, instead of a zoo. Would people react the same way to seeing a family of elephants walking around in these places as people who only see an elephant occasionally in a zoo or circus?