Picture Books THEMED: Ducklings

Ducks Away by Mem Fox Ill. By Judy Horacek, 2016

      Told in rhyme, a mother and her five ducklings take turns falling into the water as they try to cross a bridge.  Great for counting and reinforcing the 5 fact family.  

Pete the Cat Five Little Ducks by James Dean, 2017

     Told in lilting rhyme, Pete keeps losing ducks, from five to one (subtraction!) and then they all return.  Cute and simple.

Double the Ducks by Stuart J. Murphy, ill. by Valeria Petrone, 2003

     “I” has five little ducks to care for with his two hands, three sacks of feed, and four bundles of hay.  When they return from a walk one day, they each bring a friend, so since the ducks are doubled, so must the provisions be doubled. Great for teaching the concept of “doubling.”

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, 1941

     Probably the best book about ducks and ducklings ever written, the story follows Mrs. and Mrs. Mallard as they find a place in Boston to birth and raise their eights children.  68 pages, but not a 68-pages worth of text….

It’s Quacking Time!  By Martin Waddell ill. By Jill Barton, 2005

     A duckling discovers that his parents have an egg ready to be hatched, and Auntie Duck, Grandpa Duck, and Cousin Small Duck all share in his excitement waiting for the big moment.

(Great for counting and adding…there’s one great illustration where all four ducks and the two duckling are staring down at the egg…having some whiteboard ducks and ducklings to manipulate would work beautifully here during a storytime. 

Goodnight, My Duckling by Nancy Tafuri, who also illustrated, 2005

     Short and sweet, one little duckling floats far behind his mother and seven siblings, being greeted by many of his neighbor creatures, as they float home for bedtime. 

Have You Seen My Duckling?  Written and illustrated by Nancy Tafuri, 1984

     Almost wordless, we watch a mother duck and seven of her eight ducklings looking everywhere for her stray eighth duckling, which you can always see somewhere on the page. Bosler has

          *Goodnight, My Duckling is a companion book to the first, Have You Seen My Duckling?  I’m only going to have time for one of them during my Duckling Storytime, so I’m going to use the second, Goodnight, My Duckling, which has a few more words and is very cute.

I’m a Duck by Eve Bunting ill. By Will Hillenbrand, 2018

     Told in rhyme and the point-of-view of a duckling that is afraid to swim, we share his friend’s and family’s excitement when he finally dares to try.  

Puddle’s New School by Amber Stewart Ill by Layn Marlow, 2010

     Although Puddle and his two friends have been a bit envious watching other ducklings headed for school, they’re a little nervous when their own time come.  But Mama Dick has done many things to ensure that Puddle has a great transition.  

The Other Ducks by Ellen Yeomans ill. By Chris Sheban  , 2018

     This Duck and That Duck are truly clueless, thinking their shadows are friends, not knowing how to swim or fly or even about the babies they eventually have…it was cute and funny, but somehow not enough true information for young kids.   

Come Along, Daisy! Written and illustrated by Jane Simmons, 1997

     Super simple story about a duckling that straggles behind its mother while swimming down a stream, and for one short moment feels alone but discovers her turning around and coming back for him.

Sitting Duck by Jackie Urbanovic, 2010
     Max, the duck and Brody, the dog babysit for Anabel, Brody's niece.  When Brady falls asleep and Anabel and Max go outside, the antics really begin.  Apparently this is the fourth story about Max the Duck.  Delightful. 

10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle, 2005
    A box of ten little rubber ducks fall from a boat as they're being shipped across the ocean, and all  have different things that happen to them.  A great introduction to ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.).

Explain:

Ducks are birds, and lay eggs

Males are called drakes

Females are called ducks.

Babies are called ducklings

They lay eggs in spring - up to ten or more.

Eggs hatch after four weeks. 

Poems/Songs

Five little Ducks
Five little ducks, went out to play (hold up five fingers)
over the hills, and far away, (hold hand to eyebrows)
When the mother duck went “quack, quack, quack” (motion “quack” with your hand)
Four little Ducks came waddling back. (make wings with arms and move elbows up and down)

Quack, quack, quack….quack, quack, quack….four little ducks came waddling back.

Continue to count down until there are no little ducks then sing:

Ask:

One nest, one egg, how many feet walked away?

One nest two eggs, how many feet walked away?

One nest, three eggs, how many feet walked away?

Activities:

Kids cut ducklings from outlined figures on yellow construction paper.  Glue onto 9 / 12 white construction paper that they've sponged with blue "water."

Have a bucket of plastic eggs and some baskets with numbers between 1 and 10 (depending on ages of kids).  They count out the correct number of eggs to put in each basket.