When I was a child, circa 1950s, we did not have cable television, cell phones, or computers.
When I really wanted to live it up and have a good time, I read books.
I cannot remember how old I was when I got my first library card, but I remember holding my father’s hand as we walked up the stairs of the Rundel Public Library in Rochester, New York.
My favorite book, for many years, was “Make Way for Ducklings” by Robert McCloskey.
Here’s the synopsis from Barnes & Noble:
The busy Boston streets are too dangerous for eight little ducklings! But with a little help from a friendly policeman Mrs. Mallard and her family arrive safely at their new home. The public garden was no place for ducklings when they were first born, but now they are old enough to brave the raucous crowds and swim with the giant swan boats. Available for the first time in a full-size paperback edition, this Caldecott winning classic continues to delight generations of children
And here’s more:
The quaint story of the mallard family’s search for the perfect place to hatch ducklings. Once the ducklings learn to walk in a straight line, they stroll past famous Boston landmarks into the Public Garden. For more than fifty years kids have been entertained by this warm and wonderful story. It has been reissued in paper and packaged with an audiotape for the current generation. 1942 Caldecott Medal.
Sigh.
Those were the days.
