What makes this classic story of nine ducks' journey through the busy streets of Boston so famous?
Perhaps its Robert McCloskey's Caldecott Medal winning illustrations. While working on the book he brought six ducklings into his studio to observe them. It's this attention to detail that translates into his realistic and adorable charcoal line drawings. Each little duckling has its own personality as they quack and and run and yawn and waddle through the streets of Boston.
Perhaps its McCloskey's excellent sense of pacing. The prose is gently humorous but sparse enough to keep the story moving and let the illustrations do most of the descriptive work.
Perhaps its the book's premise. The fact that a mother and her ducklings take priority over the traffic of Boston, aided by a kindly police force, is exactly the kind of heartwarming story that adults love for its reversal of reality, and kids adore because for them that's simply the way the world works.
Perhaps it's all of these things. Whatever it is, Make Way for Ducklings has made its mark on American culture and remains a well-deserved classic.
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Review by Lauren Shearer
Lauren Shearer writes words for fun and profit. She also makes films, but everyone knows you can't make a profit doing that. Her other hobby is consistently volunteering way too much of her time. You can read more of her reviews here.
|
Review by Lauren Shearer
Lauren Shearer writes words for fun and profit. She also makes films, but everyone knows you can't make a profit doing that. Her other hobby is consistently volunteering way too much of her time. You can read more of her reviews
here.
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