Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 10/01/2022 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 - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 11/01/2022 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. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.

Booklist - 11/01/2022 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. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.