Fiction Review of Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

A. Bibliography:
     McCloskey, Robert. (1941). Make Way for Ducklings. New York, NY: The Viking Press. ISBN: 9780670451494

B. Plot Summary:
Make Way for Ducklings is a story about a family of ducks looking for a place to settle down and raise a family.  The ducks fly to Boston and spend the first night in the Public Garden pond.  Just when they think the Public pond is the place they want to stay, they almost get run over by city kids riding their bikes in the park.  Therefore, they search for other suitable places for their family to settle down.  The ducks choose the Charles River to stay and start their family.  They meet a policeman named Michael who looks over them each day.  While they're in their new home, the mother duck raises their eight ducklings, and the father duck explores the other side of the river.  When the ducklings get a bit bigger, the mother duck takes them on a walk that creates a big scene on the road.  The policemen stop the traffic in order for the ducks to cross the street.  The ducks return to find their dad, who is waiting for them at the Public Garden pond.  Now that the ducklings are bigger, the family has become brave and decides to make the pond their permanent home.

C. Critical Analysis:
Make Way for Ducklings is a book that could easily be skipped when browsing through a collection of picture books.  The cover of the book is plain and almost colorless.  Today's children might turn away from this book because it is not so appealing at first glance.  It is not colorful like most picture books.  When you open the book though, the illustrations blow you away.  The drawings of Boston scenery-buildings, parks, old fashioned cars from the 1940s are so detailed. Even though the illustrations are colorless inside, the author and illustrator make up for it with the shading, linework and attention to detail.  No wonder that it won the Caldecott Medal.

I have to be honest.  The first time I read the book, I was not too impressed with the storyline.  Yeah sure, a family of ducks crossing the street is always cute, but why was this such a classic tale?  So, I read it a second time, which is when the theme stuck out to me.  Make Way for Ducklings is a tale about taking care of your family, even before you start that family.  The beginning of the story is all about finding a secure place for their future ducklings.  In the end, the mother duck becomes brave and crosses her ducklings on the street in order to reunite with the dad duck.  She protects them against the angry drivers.  This story shows that a family would do anything to protect their young.  Parents and children both can relate to this tale.  When I found out that they have the statues of these ducks in Boston, I fell in love with Make Way for Ducklings even more.  I cannot wait to share this story with my children and experience the excitement when visiting Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack and Quack in Boston one day!

D. Review Excerpts:
**Shoshana Flax of Horn Book states, "The book still isn’t flashy. It still isn’t colorful, it still doesn’t rhyme, and given today’s attention spans, it’s definitely still long. But none of those things hinder Bostonians’ devotion. Their enthusiasm is rewarded with plucky, astonishingly detailed ducks and a wealth of beloved Boston landmarks. When they take the time for this book, they’re rewarded with a duck’s-eye view tour of their hometown."
**Penguin Random House states, "Seventy-five years ago, a family of ducks waddled off the page and into the hearts of readers everywhere. The brilliantly illustrated tale of mallards on the move received the Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished picture book of the year, and has been a favorite of generations of readers."

E. Connections:
Students who have moved or are moving can connect to Make Way for Ducklings.  This book also is a good read for discussing community and how people work together to solve problems.  Bostonians probably feel a lot of pride when they read this book, so I bet it is a popular read aloud and Best Seller in Boston.  One main theme of the story is taking care of your family.  An activity that can be done with students is to have them think of the various ways the ducks took care of their ducklings, including before they hatched.  Then students can think of ways that their parents take care of them.   This can bring new perspective to children as they reflect and think about how parents provide for their family.