Make Way for Ducklings

by Robert McCloskey

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 favourite of generations of readers.

Mrs. Mallard was sure that the pond in the Boston Public Gardens would be a perfect place for her and her eight ducklings to live.  The problem was how to get them there through the busy streets of Boston.  But with a little help from the Boston police, Mrs. Mallard and Jack, Kack, Lack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack arive safely at their new home.  This brilliantly illustrated, amusingly observed tale of Mallards on the move has won the hearts of generations of readers.  Awarded the Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children in 1941, it has since become a favourite of millions.

Recommended for young readers aged 3-7 years old.

Hardcover, 72 pages.

Viking Press.  Printed in China.

About the Author

Robert McCloskey (1914-2003) wrote and illustrated some of the most honoured and enduring children's books ever published.  He grew up in Hamilton, Ohio, and spent time in Boston, New York, and ultimately Maine, where he and his wife raised their two daughters.  The first ever two-time Caldecott Medal winner, for Make Way for Ducklings and Time of Wonder, McCloskey was also awarded Caldecott Honors for Blueberries for Sal, One Morning in Maine, and Journey Cake, Ho! by Ruth Sawyer.  He was declared a Living Legend by the Library of Congress in 2000.  You can see some of his best-loved characters immortalized as statues in Boston's Public Garden and Lentil Park in Hamilton, Ohio.