Make Way: The Story of Robert McCloskey, Nancy Schön, and Some Very Famous Ducklings

“In the beginning, a duck is an egg./ A drawing is a blank page./ A sculpture is a lump of clay.” This dual picture book biography pairs the story of Robert McCloskey (1914–2003) and Make Way for Ducklings with the tale of sculptor Nancy Schön (b. 1928), whose duck figurines in Boston’s Public Garden commemorate McCloskey’s work. The two artists’ early years are recounted in parallel: McCloskey plays harmonica and carves in Hamilton, Ohio, while Schön roller-skates through the halls of her Newton, Mass., home and “learns to look—and think— in three dimensions.” McCloskey’s Make Way for Ducklings is eventually published and finds success, but Schön struggles to find artistic direction—until she hears a child in the Public Garden ask, “Where are the ducks?” Burke Kunkel (Digging for Words) renders a genuinely suspenseful and touching account of Schön delicately approaching McCloskey with the idea of memorializing his book’s characters. Handsome, vintage-style artwork by Keane (Little Wonder) recalls the warm sepia tones of McCloskey’s drawings and the brass of the sculptures; coupled with the story of both parties’ persistence, the pages feel like a natural extension of the original tale. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Liza Fleissig, Liza Royce Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Apr.)