Make Way for Ducklings (Review by Leighanne Massey)
Bibliography
McCloskey, Robert. Make Way for Ducklings. New York: The Viking Press, 1941. Renewed 1969 by Robert McCloskey. ISBN 0670451495
Plot Summary
Set in the real scene of Boston, Massachusetts a family of ducks look for a safe home to raise their ducklings. Although they stumble upon a place both mother and father duck love...will it be a suitable environment for their babies? Deciding what is most important sometimes means giving up something else.
Critical Analysis
Anyone who has ever visited Boston certainly knows the charm of the city sights and the rich history. Boston Common is the oldest park in America and serves as the focal point of this classic story of a family of mallards migrating to find the perfect spot to hatch their ducklings. At first their sights are set on a wonderful island in the middle of a great garden. Just when they become convinced they have found the perfect spot, they realize rather abruptly they may have been too brash. In the end, mother mallard uses her boldness to have the best of both worlds.
Immediately flipping through the illustrations of this book, one can appreciate the detail and accuracy of the sketches. Although the dialogue between the ducks is not realistic, McCloskey captures their "human" essence and personalities vividly. His illustrations highlight a varying mix of emotions (particularly with the police officer) and distinguish movement well. His attention to detail gives the reader an aerial and 360 point view from the ducks' perspectives of Boston which is really quite incredible, especially for a text set in the 1940's. It is easy to see why McCloskey has stood the test of time. The text is straightforward because the illustrations really bring the story to life. The alliteration of the ducklings' names is a fun twist when reading their names in a row each time they appear in the story. Although set in the past, Boston is well defined as the busy and bustling city as it was then and still is today. It is not just a great children's book; it is a testament to Boston's history as well.
Review Excerpt(s)
1942 Caldecott Medal Winner
Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot
"The quaint story of the mallard family's search for the perfect place to
hatch ducklings. Once the ducklings learn to walk in a straight line,
they stroll past famous Boston landmarks into the Public Garden. For
more than fifty years kids have been entertained by this warm and
wonderful story. It has been reissued in paper and packaged with an
audiotape for the current generation. 1942 Caldecott Medal."
"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."
Connections
Other Caldecott Medal books to check out:
One Morning in Maine can be used to show a series of events in a story. Students can do a First, Next, Then, Last type of diagram with writing about the story. Talk about sequence of events.
Time of Wonder can be used to teach about oceans and sailing. It can even be used as a science activity about weather (types of weather-Hurricanes). Students can make a list of the characteristics of weather or oceans.
Blueberries for Sal can be used to teach about the seasons to young children and what animals do (like bears) to get ready. Students can also use this as another opportunity to talk about plant life and parts of plants (what they grow).
Other Caldecott Medal books to check out:
- Burton, Virginia Lee. The Little House. ISBN 039525938X
- Milhous,Katherine. The Egg Tree. ISBN 0689715684
- Thurber, James. Many Moons. ISBN 0613513185
- McCloskey, Robert. One Morning in Maine. ISBN 0140501746
- McCloskey, Robert. Blueberries for Sal. ISBN 014050169X
- McCloskey, Robert. Time of Wonder. 0140502017
One Morning in Maine can be used to show a series of events in a story. Students can do a First, Next, Then, Last type of diagram with writing about the story. Talk about sequence of events.
Time of Wonder can be used to teach about oceans and sailing. It can even be used as a science activity about weather (types of weather-Hurricanes). Students can make a list of the characteristics of weather or oceans.
Blueberries for Sal can be used to teach about the seasons to young children and what animals do (like bears) to get ready. Students can also use this as another opportunity to talk about plant life and parts of plants (what they grow).
No comments:
Post a Comment