Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Make Way for Ducklings
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 6
Puffin, 1999 ISBN: 0140564349
Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are looking for a new place to live. They want to raise a family, so they need to find a place where there aren’t any foxes or turtles. In the city of Boston, they find a nice pond in the Public Garden. The pond has an island in the middle and there are people around who are happy to feed the ducks peanuts and other treats. Mrs. Mallard decides that this is just the place to raise her children – until Mr. Mallard is almost run over by a boy riding a bicycle.
The Mallards fly off, and soon find a quiet and safe island in the middle of the Charles River. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are finally able to build their nest, and they make friends with a policeman called Charles whom they visit every day. Then Mrs. Mallard lays her eggs, and when her ducklings hatch, she sets about teaching them how to behave.
There finally comes a day when Mrs. Mallard feels that her children are ready for a little trip. They are going to walk to the pond in the Public Garden. Little does Mrs. Mallard know that such a trip is going to be fraught with difficulties.
This timeless Caldecott Medal winning title has become a firm favorite with several generations of young children and their parents. With its memorable characters, its heartwarming story, and Robert McCloskey’s evocative illustrations, this is a picture book that children will want to look at again and again.
