1942 Caldecott Winner: Make Way for Ducklings
Story and Pictures by Robert McCloskey
Robert McCloskey (September 14, 1914 – June 30, 2003) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. McCloskey wrote and illustrated eight books, two of which won the Caldecott Medal, the American Library Association's annual award of distinction for children's book illustration. Many of McCloskey's books were set on the Maine coast, including One Morning in Maine and Burt Dow, Deep Water-man. Born on September 14, 1914, in Hamilton, Ohio, McCloskey arrived in Boston in 1932 after being awarded a scholarship to the Vesper George Art School. He then moved to New York to study at the National Academy of Design. In 1940, he married Margaret (Peggy) Durand, daughter of children's author Ruth Sawyer. They had two daughters, Sarah and Jane, and settled in New York City, spending summers on Scott Island, Maine. That was the setting for his Caldecott Honor book, Blueberries for Sal, whose characters little Sal and her mother are reputed to be based on McCloskey's wife and eldest daughter Sarah. McCloskey's wife Peggy died in 1991. Twelve years later, in 2003, McCloskey died at his home in Deer Isle, Maine. He was survived by his two daughters and by two grandchildren, Samantha and Seth.
A bronze statue of the ducklings by Nancy Schön is a popular attraction in Boston Public Garden. A replica installed in Moscow was a gift from United States First Lady Barbara Bush to Soviet First Lady Raisa Gorbachev.
Make Way for Ducklings was the 1942 Caldecott Medal winner. The book tells of a mallard family that comes to live in a pond in the Public Garden in the center of Boston, Massachusetts and how a friendly policeman stops traffic when the mother takes her eight ducklings across the street. This story has become an institution in Boston, and in 2003, it was named the official children's book of Massachusetts. In 1987, sculptor Nancy Schön created a bronze version of Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings in the Public Garden, which are climbed on by thousands of children every year. The park is also the site of an annual Make Way for Ducklings Mother's Day parade, featuring hundreds of children dressed in the costumes of their favorite characters. Above information from Wikipedia
Illustrations: Front matter, Full-page and double-page spreads, all in brown
All of the studying and time that McCloskey spent learning about ducks really paid off. The illustrations are just perfect. The perspective is from the mother duck. We are looking up at things and then at times looking down on things as if we were flying thru the air. The shading is outstanding! Just gorgeous! McCloskey not only spent countless days and months studying ducks but he also spent time studying the buildings and parks in Boston. Attention to detail was very evident in the book. It is a no brainer to understand why this book took the Caldecott Award!
Art Medium: Lithographic Crayon on Stone
Final Thoughts:1. Would this be a book I would pick up again? Yup!
2. Would I recommend it to others to search out and take a look at? If you want a cute sweet story! Yes!
3. Would I spend my hard earned money on the book? YUP!
4. Where did I get the book? Pierce County Library
Want more? Here you go!
http://www.orrt.org/mccloskey/
No comments:
Post a Comment