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.

All aboard for a world of learning and fun!

ANNOTATION

When a storm strikes a cargo ship, ten rubber ducks are tossed overboard and swept off in ten different directions. Based on a factual incident.

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.

Children's Literature - Kathleen Karr

The venerable Eric Carle based his latest book on a 2003 news report about the true adventures of a 1992 shipment of bathtub toys lost overboard from a container ship. From this true-life story he has created a charming counting book about rubber ducks. Youngsters can watch rubber ducks created, painted, packed, and shipped. When a storm sets them free, one-by-one they set off for their personal voyages. A dolphin, a seal, a polar bear, and a pelican—creatures of the sea and sky colorfully interact with the ducks. All ducks float on. Until the tenth—he has the fortune to find a real duck family. As they settle in for the night, quacks and a final squeak suggest the comfort of a home found. The battery-operated squeaker on the last page can be pressed by little fingers, and when they press it too often, its battery, hidden in the binding, may be replaced. Carle's narrative is simple, but his melange of collage and vivid acrylic strokes is as evocative as ever. 2005, HarperCollins, Ages 3 to 6.

Kirkus Reviews

Ten rubber ducks are packed in a box and tied to a boat. A storm blows up on their trip across the ocean, spills them out, and they drift in different directions. One encounters a dolphin, another meets up with a seal, and so on. The tenth rubber toy runs into a family of wild ducks and they all nestle down under a friendly moon. Laura Ingalls Wilder Award-recipient and perennial favorite Carle revisits the counting-book format with his unmistakable blocky, painted collages. All of his well-known components are present: a list of animals-many of them recognizable from earlier works-repeated words and phrases, bright friendly art on lots of white background, and a noisemaker at the end. He offers his take on the 1992 news story that inspired Eve Bunting and David Wisniewski to create Ducky (1997). While not Carle's best work, it still has those saturated colors that have such appeal. Audiences of one or many will enjoy it, especially if they get to press the duck and make him squeak. (Picture book. 2-5)