In today’s Special Edition of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast, you’ll meet the man behind Make Way for Ducklings. Robert McCloskey was the first to win two Caldecott Awards, and his books are arguably among the most celebrated picture books of all time.
His most popular picture book wouldn’t stay on the page, either. His ducks became permanent sculptures fixed in Boston Public Garden, and even made a way for international diplomacy as part of the START Treaty between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. in 1991.
A picture book is a powerful piece of art.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- what it was like having Robert McCloskey for a Dad
- one of the hardest parts of his life as a successful artist
- what his picture books gave the world
Think you love Make Way for Ducklings? Just wait till you meet the man who wrote them onto the page.
Sal McCloskey and Paul Zelinksy at Boston Public Garden Duckling Day Parade! (That’s Paul Zelinsky in the hat, and Sal McCloskey in the overalls) 
Sarah’s daughter, Allison, paying a visit to the ducks in Boston Public Garden, June 2021 
Sarah with the ducklings, June 2021 
Sarah and daughter, Allison, with sculptor Nancy Schön, June 2021
Listener Guide
Use the time stamps below to skip to any part of the podcast:
| 01:22 | Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey |
| 06:31 | Let’s meet Robert McCloskey |
| 11:18 | Bob goes to New York |
| 15:44 | The fame was hard for him. So hard. |
| 20:10 | Jane McCloskey remembers her dad |
| 21:32 | Nancy Schön’s sculptures in Boston Public Garden |
| 29:16 | What was he like? |
| 31:24 | ‘I just forgot to fill it in.’ |
| 34:27 | The affirming nature of Bob’s books |
| 37:27 | Take a farewell look… |
Links from this episode:
- The biography about Robert McCloskey by Gary D. Schmidt
- Weston Woods video about Robert McCloskey (20 min)
- Robert McCloskey: A Private Life in Words and Pictures by Jane McCloskey
- The website of Nancy Schön, sculptor
- Make Way for Nancy, by Nancy Schön
- Ducks on Parade! edited by Nancy Schön
Homer Price
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
This collection of six tales follows Homer Price, resident of Centerburg, U.S.A. Follow Homer around town as he mans his uncle’s lunch counter (and his fancy new doughnut-making machine), builds radios and even catches a gang of robbers.
More info →
Blueberries for Sal
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Sal goes blueberry picking with mama, but it turns out a mama bear and baby bear had the same idea. Wait - will the right babies go home with the right mamas?
More info →
Make Way for Ducklings
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Another classic from Robert McCloskey! Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are searching for the perfect place to raise their family. Will they find a place to call home?
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One Morning in Maine
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Robert McCloskey is perhaps one of the greatest children's book authors/illustrators we've ever known. This story is especially perfect for any child who has recently lost a tooth!
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Time of Wonder (Picture Puffins)
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Winner of the Caldecott Medal! For fans of Blueberries for Sal, One Morning in Maine, and Make way for Ducklings."Out on the islands that poke their rocky shores above the waters of Penobscot Bay, you can watch the time of the world go by, from minute to minute, hour to hour, from day to day . . ."...
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Make Way for McCloskey: A Robert McCloskey Treasury
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
From those famous ducklings to Homer Price's delicious donuts, generations of children have grown up delighting in the timeless stories of Robert McCloskey. Here, for the first time, all of his published works--Make Way for Ducklings, Blueberries for Sal, Lentil, Time of Wonder, One Morning in Maine, Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man, Homer Price and Centerburg Tales--are brought together.
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Burt Dow, Deep-Water Man
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Whenever Burt Dow, who lives in a snug little house on the Maine coast, sets out to sea, his pet giggling gull goes along. But this time, it will take all his might and some plain old ingenuity to save him and the gull from a raging storm.
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Lentil
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
Young Lentil wants to learn to sing, but no matter how hard he tries he can’t sing on key, so Lentil learns to play the harmonica instead. When Old Sneep stops the welcoming parade in its tracks, Lentil’s music turns out to be just what the city of Alto needs.
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