Design

I first heard the story on NPR ; a loan officer in Spokane, Washington, had noticed a female mallard, first with a nest, and then with a newly hatched group of ducklings on a second-story ledge outside his office window. He proceeded to catch them (after the first hit the sidewalk) as they jumped from the ledge to follow mom. He and his co-workers (with the help of a large copy paper box) then helped shepherd them several blocks to the Spokane River. A friend sent me the e-mail version, complete with lots of photos, written by the loan officer's sister with pictures from his colleagues. It reminded me of Make Way for Ducklings , a book that my sister and I loved as children, and that's now an enduring classic of children's literature. On a visit a few years ago to Boston, I saw this wonderful sculpture by Nancy Schön on Boston Commons, commemorating the book, and its author, Robert McCloskey.