Little Quack's Bedtime by Lauren Thompson

Little Quack's Bedtime is a sweet boardbook that falls into the Good-Night category. My children --who really are a bit old for this book)-- loved it, as did their father (and me, of course).

The artwork is cute, and manages to be both colorful and suitably muted. Kudos to Derek Anderson for managing that. And Lauren Thompson does a good job of leading little people to their own bedtime by having the little ducklings doze off one by one.

The story begins with an introduction of Mother Duck and her babies; Widdle, Waddle, Piddle, Puddle, and Little Quack. It then follows through the motions of Mother telling the ducklings that it's time for bed. The ducklings, of course, get distracted by the goings on around them - flashing fireflies, waving branches... -- but one by one they fall asleep.

Besides the kid-friendly artwork, and the sleepytime countdown, I particularly like that the author touches on the 'scary things' issue. After Waddle shuts his eyes to sleep, Piddle, Puddle, and Little Quack see something and exclaim, "Look, Mama, look!... What's that moving in the dark?" To which Mama replies;

"That's the tree that you play beside. That's what is moving in the dark. Now it's sleepy time, little ducklings."

I think this little segment helps children to realize that sometimes even very familiar things look different in the dark.

Considerations:::
Little Quack's Bedtime is an excellent little bedtime book. It's a tiny bit longer than some other nighttime reads; but as we parents well know, some nights demand a little extra time to relax.

The Accelerated Reading level of Little Quack's Bedtime is 2.3 which means that the average 2nd Grader in the 3rd Month of school should be able to read it without getting frustrated by the vocabularly.

MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS by Robert McClosky

Make Way for the Ducklings by Robert McClosky has become a classic in children’s literature since it was first published in 1941. Children’s books have changed a lot over the years, but this particular work is substantial proof that change is not always best and more importantly, that quality will always stand the test of time.

The work has a lot going for it. First there is the story. Two Mallard ducks, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are trying to find a safe home to start a family; one that is safe from foxes and turtles. As they fly, several locations are considered and after a lengthy journey they settle upon a small island in the Charles River, Boston, Mass. Before settling here and starting their brood, they visit the Public Garden in Boston, where at first the find food rather hard to find, but after they encounter the “Swan Boats” and the people riding these boats throwing peanuts to them, they decide that the park is a good place. After checking the area out, the settle on the small island in the Charles River where Mrs. Mallard hatches a number of ducklings; eight in all. At that time, Mr. Mallard decides to take a short trip to check the area out. In his absence, Mrs. Mallard cares for her young and one day, after the little ones can walk, swim and learn to line up in a straight line, she takes them to the park.

The story of the friendly policeman and his coworkers, the journey through the city and their eventual arrival at their new home makes for a wonderful tale. Actual place names are used in the story and are depicted quite accurately in the illustrations. Louisburg Square, Charles river, Mount Vernon Street, Beacon Hill, The Book Store and several others sites allow visitors to more or less trace the journey of the duck family.

The second thing this story has is the marvelous art work. All is done in charcoal, with wonderful shading and great detail. The buildings, cars, people, dress and stores all are accurate to that particular era. This does not distract from the story in the least, and indeed, adds to the charm.

This is a wonderful read along book and is suitable for ages four through eight. I have personally “kid checked” it with these age groups and get asked for many rereading.

This book received the Caldecott medal in 1941 and it was well deserved. Other children’s books by this author include Lentil, Blueberries for Sal, One Morning in Maine and Time to Wonder. All of these are excellent choices and should be included in any child’s library.

Considerations :::
Make Way for Ducklings has an Accelerated Reading (AR) designation of 4.1 which means that the average 4th Grader in the 1st month of school should be able to read it without getting frustrated by the vocabulary. It can be read aloud to any age.