School Library Journal Starred Review (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Gr 1–3— Though the tale has been told before, notably in Leonard Marcus's Caldecott Celebration , this stand-alone account of how young illustrator Robert McCloskey filled his urban studio with live ducks in order to get his depictions of them "better than just okay" will give readers of all ages a sense of the dedication that went into creating the timeless classic Make Way for Ducklings. Stadtlander's views of a workspace and bathroom overrun with ducks as the serious-looking artist, sketchbook in hand, crawls under a table in pursuit of just the right angle reinforce the episode's sense of fun, and reproductions of his actual drawings scattered throughout will encourage closer, more appreciative examination of the finished art. Smith and McCloskey's daughter Jane contribute afterwords about the artist, his work, and his legendary editor, May Massee. VERDICT Make way for a comical episode that offers insight into the hard work of creativity, in general and in the case of one picture book that has been admired and loved for generations.— John Edward Peters

ALA Booklist (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Robert McCloskey was mulling over picture-book ideas when he remembered watching a mallard family waddle down the sidewalk in a long row and enter Boston's Public Garden. After imagining their story and writing it down, he was sketching the illustrations when a problem arose: drawing ducks was hard. He bought some little ducklings, which roamed around his studio for months, making messes and plenty of noise. Still dissatisfied with his sketches, he brought in adult ducks, too. When he had captured their likeness in his illustrations, he moved the ducks to a farm and gave his editor the manuscript and art for Make Way for Ducklings, a Caldecott Medal winner. Inspired by one of the more charming origin stories in the history of children's literature, Smith's book shows the time, energy, determination, and craftsmanship required to create a book that seems so effortlessly right. Smith's narrative includes gentle humor, reflected in Stadtlander's gouache-and-colored-pencil illustrations portraying McCloskey at work and the absurdity of living with ducks. A pleasing tribute to McCloskey and his work.

Horn Book (Tue Dec 03 00:00:00 CST 2024)

On page one of this true story behind the making of the 1942 Caldecott-winning Make Way for Ducklings, readers see legendary author-illustrator McCloskey hard at work in his studio. After completing his first children's book (Lentil, 1940), he wants to put mallard ducks into a story but struggles to draw them correctly. He brings home a box of "very alive (and very LOUD)" ducklings after deciding that he needs "live models." They wreak havoc, but he "was willing to do whatever it took to make these drawings perfect," and in the end, the drawings were "absolutely top-notch!" Smith emphasizes her subject's determination (respectfully referring to him throughout as "Mr. McCloskey"), with the spreads depicting the ducks' "terrible mess" and "infernal quacking" being sure to delight young readers. Stadtlander captures it all in thickly textured gouache and colored-pencil illustrations. Back matter includes a note from McCloskey's daughter Jane; information about publisher Viking's May Massee, the exacting editor depicted in the story; a timeline; and more. Children's literature aficionados will note mention of McCloskey's roommate (who was, in point of fact, illustrator Marc Simont) and will also note the story's absence of red wine, which he and Simont fed the ducks to slow them down for easier drawing. This is the children's version of that tale, after all -- and a satisfying one at that.

Kirkus Reviews

Making a picture book isn't all it's quacked up to be.First published in 1941, Make Way for Ducklings is still a popular book for children thanks to its perfectly paced plot and lighthearted illustrations. But fans of the book may not know how it came into being. Smith and Stadtlander reconstruct how Robert McCloskey wrote and illustrated the story, meticulously rearranging words until the text was perfect and agonizing over how ducks would behave in the story. While the former took time, for the latter, the author/illustrator needed inspiration, which came in the form of two groups of ducks (adults and ducklings) living for a time in his shared studio apartment. The gouache and colored pencil illustrations are a far cry from McCloskey's style but capture both the quiet moments of work and the hectic life of multiple ducks living in a New York apartment. For readers looking for more, the backmatter includes a note from McCloskey's daughter, an author's note, information about McCloskey and his editor May Massee, a bibliography, a timeline, a list of McCloskey's works, and small reproductions of sketches and family photos. Without doubt, this will be a favorite for both older and younger generations alike! Background characters are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Make way for a wonderful tale about the creation of a classic children's book. (picture credits) (Informational picture book. 6-8)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Bland Smith focuses squarely on a single, knotty problem that Robert McCloskey (1914–2003) encountered while working on his now-iconic Make Way for Ducklings. The artist knows he has a good story to tell—“a pair of mallard ducks, looking for a safe place to raise their ducklings in a busy city. Bingo!”—but his preliminary sketches fall flat, and his editor concurs. Smith underscores the demands McCloskey puts on himself: “I can do better,” he thinks. “I have to do better!” In textural, place-oriented gouache and colored pencil spreads, Stadtlander shows McCloskey training home with a box of live ducklings and a sheepish expression on his face, fielding skeptical looks from other passengers. He soon discovers that the ducks make difficult roommates, but his work pays off, a success that crowns this step-by-step portrait of an artist working through to a solution. Ample back matter concludes. Ages 7–10. (Nov.)