Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey is an icon of Boston. It’s right up there with Fenway Park’s Sweet Caroline for the 7th-inning stretch!
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
A mother and father duck look for the perfect place to hatch and raise their ducklings in Boston. Their journey is fraught with danger but a kind Boston policeman makes sure they are escorted safely to the Boston Public Garden. This is based on a true story! [picture book, ages 3 and up]
The ducklings and mama duck were sculpted by Newton (my town) artist Nancy Schön. The bronze statues were installed in Boston Public Garden in 1987. A copy of this iconic sculpture was also installed in Moscow at Novodevichy Park in 1991.
But did you know the story behind the story of how the book came to be?
Mr. McCloskey’s Marvelous Mallards: The Making of Make Way for Ducklings by Emma Bland Smith, illustrated by Becca Stadtlander
You can’t draw ducks until you live with them. — Robert McClosky
If you think the ducks in Make Way for Ducklings are both full of personality and captured with remarkable liveliness, it’s because Robert McClosky lived with a family of ducklings in his New York City studio! (His roommate was not happy about this living situation as the ducklings were VERY loud early in the morning!) And yet, this still was not enough for Robert to capture the motion of the ducks in flight in his illustrations. He brought in more ducks, this time fully grown. When his book was complete, the ducks found a home in the country. Make Way for Ducklings is an enduring classic so it seems like six years and a studio full of ducks was well worth it! [picture book biography, ages 7 and up]
Gertie: The Darling Duck of WWII by Shari Swanson, illustrated by Renee Graef
A similar mama duck and babies occurred in Milwaukee during WWII. Gertie, the mama duck, decided to build her nest on a tall post sticking out of the Milwaukee River. Her story of hatching and rearing her ducklings brought hope to the people of the world weary of war. This is another true duck story that reminds me of Make Way for Ducklings. [picture book, ages 6 and up]
I chronicled the Make Way for Ducklings statues in Boston in this video. I hope you enjoy it!
p.s. Related posts:
Top 10: Books for Kids Set in Boston
Visiting the exact location of the Boston Massacre: A Unit on the American Revolution
Lessons From The Boston Freedom Trail
Lion Dances for Lunar New Year in Boston’s Chinatown
American Revolution Books for Kids & Boston Freedom Trail Guide
Walden Pond and Black History Month
To examine any book more closely at Indiebound or Amazon, please click on image of book.
As an Amazon and IndieBound Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.
My books:
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
The ducklings are one of my favorite things to visit! The best was taking my young son – probably 3 or 4 at the time. I have wonderful photos of this.