Top 100 Picture Books Poll Results (#6)

Who wouldn’t respond to the satisfying blend of protagonists who overcome obstacles to solve their dilemma, interspecies cooperation, and the delightful language play of the ducklings’ names? – Faith Brautigam

Because Captain Kangaroo read it to me first, and the Captain always picked great books. Also McCloskey’s illustrations are timeless. – Sherry Early

Take a back seat, Levar Burton.  Clearly your book recommendation skills still pale in comparison to the Cap’n.  First Rocco Staino credits the Kangaroo man for bringing The Little House to his attention and now Sherry Early reveals his love of small, vulnerable ducklings.  Ducklings that, let us admit it, almost everyone likes.

The synopsis from the publisher reads, "The busy Boston streets are too dangerous for eight little ducklings! But with a little help from a friendly policeman Mrs. Mallard and her family arrive safely at their new home. The public garden was no place for ducklings when they were first born, but now they are old enough to brave the raucous crowds and swim with the giant swan boats."

I once posted that my Interesting Fact of the Day was that Robert McCloskey was 28 when he won a Caldecott for Make Way for Ducklings.  No pressure, you illustrators out there, no pressure.  A young man, he was probably more keen to get a little goofy in his duck-related research than an old hand would’ve been.  Minders of Make-Believe discusses one of the best publicity stunts for a soon-to-be released picture book on record today.  "The editors of Life became interested in what McCloskey was up to when they learned (doubtless thanks  to a well-placed telephone call from May Massee) that the artist had recently purchased a crate-load of ducklings at a local market and hauled them up to his West Twelfth Street apartment to serve as life models . . . . A reporter and photographer were dispatched to the fourth-floor walkup, and the piece was put to bet complete with candid shots of ducklings scrambling adorably up and down the artist’s sleeve."  Granted the German invasion of Poland scrapped the story, but it would’ve been brilliant!  THAT is how you market a book, people.

100 Best Books for Children reports that the original working title of this book was Boston Is Lovely in the Spring.  Had they kept it, imagine the gift this would have been to the Boston Tourism Board.  The book also points out that the original names of the ducks were "Mary, Martha, Phillys, Theodore, Beatrice, Alice, George, and John."  The world would be a poorer place indeed without an "Ouack" in it.

There’s an interview with Mr. McCloskey that discusses this book over at The Horn Book from NPR circa 1986.  You may either listen or read the recap, as you prefer.  I like that those first names of the ducks he used were "names of all the girls I knew, not even in alphabetical order."