Make Way for Ducklings / Robert McCloskey
Viking Press
1941
A mama duck traverses Boston with her ducklings in tow, causing quite the scene along the way.
Prek-1st Grade: Animal Families and habitats. Traffic rules.
Not to bring in the sentiment, but I, like many others, I'm sure, have fond memories of this book from childhood. I would take it and a dry paint brush with me to my naptime and pretend I was painting the pictures (which I realize as an adult are actually a sort of sepia crayon/charcoal type of medium upon close inspection.) McCloskey's life-like details would keep me quiet for quite a stretch of time. It still holds up as an adult. The real life setting of Boston makes it that much more special for anyone who's ever been to the city - its fun to recognize places you've actually visited in your books. The writing clips along well too, though its on the longer side, well over 32 pages, the pace of the story doesn't make it feel too long for read aloud.