It may have been an unusual way to work, but the book was an instant success. To create the pictures, he bought some ducks and followed them around his apartment, sketch book-and Kleenex-at the ready. This was the inspiration for Make Way for Ducklings (Viking, 1941). Soon after, he moved to Boston to paint outdoor murals amidst “traffic problems” caused by local ducks. Robert McCloskey’s first book was Lentil, a story about a boy and his harmonica, published by Viking Books in 1939. Almost by chance he turned to children’s books, drawing on the passions of his early life to create memorable characters and illustrations. He won a scholarship to the Vesper George Art School in Boston, then moved to New York City to attend the National Academy of Design. But it was in art that he found his life calling. Later he became interested in all things electrical and mechanical and filled the house with his inventions. His first love as a child was music, and he learned to play the piano, harmonica, drums, and oboe.
Robert McCloskey (1914-2003) was born in Hamilton, Ohio.
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