Mcloskey, Robert. 1969. Make Way For Duckings. NY, NY: Penguin. ISBN: 0-0670-45149-5

PLOT SUMMARY:

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are looking for a safe place to have and raise their ducklings.  Mrs. Mallard is concerned that her ducklings will be unsafe. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard become tired and decide to land in the Public Garden of Boston to rest for the night. After spending the night in the Public Garden the Mallards decide they like Boston and want to have a family there. After spending some time in the public garden the Mallards decide it is too busy to lay eggs there.  They go off exploring the city and decide that the Charles River would be the perfect place. Mr. Mallard goes off exploring the river and agrees to meet Mrs. Mallard and the duckling a week later at the public garden. Mrs. Mallard and the baby ducks journey across the city causing all kinds of rotguts and finally make it back to the public garden where they decide to live, sleeping on the small island in the middle.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

This is a heartwarming tale of parents looking for a place to live and creating security for their children before they are born.  The author creates a realistic look at what life is like for two ducks when they are getting ready to raise a family.  The ducks spoke and thought the way many humans do. 

The book is illustrated with beautiful detail and realism, which makes the story appear more lifelike. In many of the images one can see emotion on the ducks’ faces. These reactions show children what is appropriate in different situations.  In story time we constantly react to stories when we read them so that the children will begin to develop those cognitive responses.

The strengths shown in this book are detailed illustration, well worded story time that is easy to understand, well developed characters, and a strong story line that is applicable to the children’s lives who are reading it. Children can relate to the story line and their parents can then talk to them about what it was like getting for their birth.

CONNECTIONS:

This story shows a parents love and preparation for their children, some other books that do that are:

Guess How Much I Love You

By Sam McBratney

Love You Forever

          By Robert Munsch

Have You Seen My Duckling?

          By Nancy Tafuri

 

Amazon.com Review

It's not easy for duck parents to find a safe place to bring up their ducklings, but during a rest stop in Boston's Public Garden, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard think they just might have found the perfect spot--no foxes or turtles in sight, plenty of peanuts from pleasant passers-by, and the benevolent instincts of a kindly police officer to boot. Young readers will love the mother duck's proud, loving protection of her wee webbed ones, and those with fond memories of Boston will enjoy familiar locales, from Beacon Hill to Louisburg Square, and over the Charles River--often from a duck's-eye view. Robert McCloskey, creator of Blueberries for Sal, never fails to elicit happy story-time giggles from youngsters, and his soft, brown-toned, Caldecott-winning illustrations make this gentle world come alive. (Ages 3 to 8) --Karin Snelson --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.