10 Little Rubber Ducks - by Eric Carle (Hardcover)

About the Book

Based on the true story of a shipment of rubber bathtub toys that fell overboard from a container ship, this interactive picture book by the legendary Eric Carle explores numbers, directions, opposites, geography, animals, and more. Embedded in the book is a duck with a squeaking sound chip. Full color.

Book Synopsis

This classic picture book from the New York Times bestselling author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Grouchy Ladybug stars 10 little rubber ducks and their globe-trotting adventures. In Eric Carle's poignant and funny story, illustrated with strikingly designed collages, readers are taken on an exciting voyage of discovery.

"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. 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.

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.

Small readers and listeners will empathize with the little duck's plight--and will rejoice at the heartwarming surprise ending. "A wonderful read-aloud for storytimes or one-on-one sharing. It's a definite 10," commented School Library Journal in a starred review. "Beautifully composed illustrations," said Booklist. "As sublimely simple and endearing as the playthings it portrays," agreed Publishers Weekly.

From the Back Cover

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!

Review Quotes

"A marvelous counting/concept adventure. A wonderful read-aloud. It's a definite 10." - School Library Journal (starred review)