Make Way for Ducklings

Make Way for Ducklings is a children’s picture book written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey. First published in 1941, the book tells the story of a pair of mallards who raise their brood of ducklings on an island in the lagoon in Boston Public Garden. It won the 1942 Caldecott Medal for McCloskey’s illustrations, executed in charcoal then lithographed on zinc plates. As of 2003, the book had sold over two million copies. The book’s popularity led to the construction of a statue by Nancy Schön in the Public Garden of the mother duck and her eight ducklings, which is a popular destination for children and adults alike. In 1991, Barbara Bush gave a duplicate of this sculpture to Raisa Gorbacheva as part of the START Treaty, and the work is displayed in Moscow’s Novodevichy Park. The book is the official children’s book of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Praise for the book is still high over 80 years since its first publication, mainly for the enhancing illustrations and effective pacing. However, it has been criticized for having a loose plot. The book is popular worldwide.