Day 28: Make Way for Ducklings

What kind of Bostonian would I be if I didn't feature Robert McCloskey's classic, Make Way for Ducklings?  This wonderful story was a baby gift for my son, given to us by one of my students and his family.  Thank you, Kriers!  I love this book -- and other McCloskey titles, too -- but I think they tend to be for a slightly older age group and I didn't think it would capture my son's attention much until now.   I read it to him a few times when he was very little, but he didn't show much interest.  When I got it down from his bookshelf the other night to read before bed, he fell in love with it!  We have read it multiple times since then, and he pretended to be the last of the eight little ducklings, Quack, all day yesterday.  (I was Mrs. Mallard, of course.)  First published in 1941, Make Way for Ducklings was based on a real duck family that made its way through the streets of Boston, stopping traffic along the way.  Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are searching for the perfect place to raise their ducklings, and McCloskey's beautiful brown pencil illustrations capture both the time and place beautifully.  Among other things, my son loves looking at the old-fashioned cars, and I love seeing the many classic Boston landmarks featured in the story, as well:  Charles Street, the Swan Boats in the Public Garden, the Longfellow Bridge, the State House.  And of course we all love the charming family of ducklings:  Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack.   What child won't love saying all of those names?!   You needn't be from Boston to appreciate this book, though if you ever visit, stop by the bronze statues of the ducklings right inside the gates of the Garden.  The story is endearing, the illustrations are wonderful (it's a Caldecott winner), and it's no wonder it has been a favorite on bookshelves for 70 years.