10 Little Rubber Ducks [Hardcover]

Eric Carle (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up

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!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 1 - Carle takes an actual incident, when numerous bathtub toys fell off a container ship and floated to various places, and distills it to create a marvelous counting/concept adventure. The story opens at a factory where assembly-line workers are painting details onto bright yellow rubber ducks. The toys are then loaded onto a freighter destined for faraway countries. During a storm, 10 rubber ducks fall into the sea. Each one floats in a different direction - west, east, north, south, left, right, up, down, this way, and that way - and encounters a different animal (a dolphin, seal, polar bear, etc.). The 10th one meets a mother duck with her offspring and bobs along with them to their nest. The ducks all bid "Good night" to one another with a "Quack," while the newcomer says "Squeak!" (Children can press the page to hear a squeak.) Carle's signature cut-paper collages burst with color, texture, light, and motion, delighting the eye and bringing out the text's nuances. The ordinal numbers are shown in bold type that stands out from the narrative. More accessible to younger readers than Eve Bunting's Ducky (Clarion, 1997), this book makes a wonderful read-aloud for storytimes or one-on-one sharing. It's a definite 10. - Linda Staskus, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. A ship loaded with boxes of rubber ducks is traveling across the sea when a storm blows up and dumps 10 of the toys into the water. The ducks bob along together for a while, but soon they drift in different directions, each encountering an animal, such as a dolphin, a seal, a polar bear, and a flamingo. The last little duck is adopted by a mother duck, floating along with her ducklings. When the real ducks end their day with a goodnight "quack," the rubber duckie, aided by children who "press here" on the duck's body, manages a squeak. The simple, appealing story is greatly enhanced by beautifully composed illustrations. From the distinctive use of negative space on the title page and the watery finger-paint effects in some ocean scenes to the rich combination of patterns on the final double-page spread, Carle uses cut-paper collage with a fine sense of freedom and artistry. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (January 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060740752
• ISBN-13: 978-0060740757
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,887 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eric Carle is acclaimed and beloved as the creator of brilliantly illustrated and innovatively designed picture books for young children.


Eric was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1929, and moved with his parents to Germany when he was six years old. After graduating from art school, he returned to America, the land of his happiest childhood memories, and found work as a graphic designer.


After seeing an advertisement designed by Eric, respected educator and author, Bill Martin Jr, called to ask him to illustrate a story he had written. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, with its distinctive collage style, was the result of their collaboration. This favorite was the beginning of Eric Carle's true career. Soon Eric was writing his own stories, developing a close bond with Ann Beneduce, the founder of Philomel Books, who would be his editor for nearly 40 years. In 1969 they published the celebrated classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which has eaten its way into the hearts of literally millions of children all over the world and has been translated into more than 30 languages. Since this beginning, Eric Carle has illustrated more than seventy books, many best sellers, most of which he also wrote.


The secret of Eric Carle's books' appeal lies in his intuitive understanding of and respect for children, who sense in him instinctively someone who shares their most cherished thoughts and emotions. He says "I believe the passage from home to school is the second biggest trauma of childhood; the first is, of course, being born.
Indeed, in both cases we leave a place of warmth and protection for one that is unknown. The unknown often brings fear with it. In my books I try to counteract this fear, to replace it with a positive message. I believe that children are naturally creative and eager to learn. I want to show them that learning is really both fascinating and fun."


Eric Carle has two grown-up children, a son and a daughter. He and his wife Barbara divide their time between Massachusetts and Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ANOTHER CARLE CLASSIC, February 15, 2005

By 

Tim Janson (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: 10 Little Rubber Ducks (Hardcover)

Some years ago there was a story about a ship that was carrying a load of Rubber ducks from China. In a storm several crates were swept off the ship and these little rubber ducks floated virtually all over the world. I guess maybe that story influenced this Eric Carle books about a bunch of toy ducks that pop out of a machine freshly painted and packed 10 to a box and loaded onto a ship.

A box of 10 goes overboard and each of the 10 little ducks goes on their own separate journey of exploration and adventure to all parts of the globe. One even encounters a mother duck with her own little duckling children. It's a delightful tale and beautifully illustrated, as you would expect, by Carle. His use of colors in his collages is dazzling. If you've had his previous books and enjoyed them, you're sure to love this one too.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Teaches in so many ways, January 9, 2006

By 

C. Leader "children's book lover" (Voorhees, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 10 Little Rubber Ducks (Hardcover)

Once again, Eric Carle teaches about a dozen concepts using about 10 words. I exaggerate, but only a little. This book teaches counting, including ordinal numbers. The ducks drift off in different directions such as left, right, up, and down, as well as the compass points. The rubber ducks encounter different animals, and the animals that the ducks meet correspond to the compass points. For example, the rubber duck that goes north sees a polar bear. The first couple pages succinctly describe the manufacturing/shipping process, something hard to find in preschool books. (At least, it's hard to find in terms they understand, Donald Crews "Truck" aside.) And the squeaker duck at the end is wonderful surprise!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book for Emergent Readers, January 31, 2006

By 

Mary E. Volonino "Maybelle" (Marshfield, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 10 Little Rubber Ducks (Hardcover)

As an Early Childhood professional I am always looking for goods books rich in language, story and pictures. This book is one of Eric Carle's best books. I am a teacher/owner of Oceanside Pre-Kindergarten a unique Literacy based program to help children prepare for Kindergarten in today's intense learning environment in formal education.
I purchased this because the theme related to my school.
Ten Rubber Ducks ia an Award Winning book that is rich in language, includes math, beautiful art work and based on a true story with a big surprise for the children at the end of the story - the rubber duck squeaks.
I allow children to borrow my books and this one everyone wanted to take home over and over again. I have purchased another for a friend whom borrowed it and her four children loved it.
It is truly a book I will purchase as a gift for children on my gift list. I love to see a child's face light up and smile to a good story and Eric Carle can tell a story with both words and pictures to delight us all.