10 Little Rubber Ducks

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 1 - Carle takes an actual incident, when numerous bathtub toys fell off a container ship and floated to various places, and distills it to create a marvelous counting/concept adventure. The story opens at a factory where assembly-line workers are painting details onto bright yellow rubber ducks. The toys are then loaded onto a freighter destined for faraway countries. During a storm, 10 rubber ducks fall into the sea. Each one floats in a different direction - west, east, north, south, left, right, up, down, this way, and that way - and encounters a different animal (a dolphin, seal, polar bear, etc.). The 10th one meets a mother duck with her offspring and bobs along with them to their nest. The ducks all bid "Good night" to one another with a "Quack," while the newcomer says "Squeak!" (Children can press the page to hear a squeak.) Carle's signature cut-paper collages burst with color, texture, light, and motion, delighting the eye and bringing out the text's nuances. The ordinal numbers are shown in bold type that stands out from the narrative. More accessible to younger readers than Eve Bunting's Ducky (Clarion, 1997), this book makes a wonderful read-aloud for storytimes or one-on-one sharing. It's a definite 10. - Linda Staskus, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal (starred review)
"A marvelous counting/concept adventure. A wonderful read-aloud. It’s a definite 10."

Book Description

Ahoy! Here We Go
Around the World
with 10 Little Rubber Ducks

"Ducks overboard!" shouts the captain, as a giant wave washes a box of 10 little rubber ducks off his cargo ship and into the sea. The 10 little rubber ducks are swept away in various directions. One drifts west, where a friendly dolphin jumps over it. A whale sings to another. But, as the sun sets, the 10th little rubber duck is left all alone, bobbing helplessly on the big wide sea. Small readers and listeners will empathize with the little duck's plight -- and will rejoice at the heartwarming surprise ending.

In this poignant and funny story, illustrated with strikingly designed collages, Eric Carle also takes readers on an exciting voyage of discovery. Following the little ducks as they float to all parts of the globe, young explorers can see for themselves the meanings of directional words, and learn simple math concepts such as counting and the use of cardinal and ordinal numbers. Each creature the ducks meet is seen in its own habitat and behaves in a true-to-life manner, offering a very simple first view of biology and geography.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

A brand-new batch of rubber ducks is loaded onto a ship and sent off to be delivered to children everywhere. But when a storm strikes, 10 little ducks are tossed into the sea and swept away in 10 different directions -- with some wonderfully unexpected adventures along the way.

Come ride the waves as legendary children's book author and illustrator Eric Carle explores numbers, directions, opposites, geography, animals, and more in an extraordinary interactive picture book beautifully illustrated with his unique collage-style art. And for a final surprise, the last page contains a duck with a squeaking sound chip for a special treat at the end of the story!

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Inspired by a 2003 newspaper story about a shipment of yellow rubber ducks that fell overboard from a container ship, this winsome story pairs Carle's (Mister Seahorse) characteristically jewel-toned collage art with a breezy text whose intermittent repetition lends it a song-like cadence. After little yellow rubber ducks pop out of "the rubber duck machine," their beaks and eyes receive dabs of paint, and the toys are packed 10 to a box and loaded onto a cargo ship. When a wave washes one box into the sea, its contents fall out ("10 ducks overboard!" the ship's captain theatrically announces). As the ducks drift in different directions, the counting and ecological aspects of the tale emerge; one by one the toys encounter a critter from various ocean habitats. Carle's jaunty renderings of these creatures and use of crisp verbs make this a lively journey: a dolphin jumps over the first duck, a pelican chatters at the fifth, a whale sings to the ninth. Full-page collage images give way to full-spread compositions as the 10th rubber duck meets with the most satisfying fate (it encounters a real mother duck and her nine ducklings). While mother and babies "Quack" goodnight to the moon, the new addition chimes in with a chipper "Squeak!" (a sound chip allows readers to hear it for themselves). A ducky tale indeed, as sublimely simple and endearing as the playthings it portrays. Ages 2-6. (Feb.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews