Make Way for Ducklings Trivia Quiz

Answer: There might be foxes in the woods or turtles in the water

In the first few pages, we already can see that Mrs Mallard has a mind of her own! Since she is the one who will be sitting on the eggs as they incubate, it is important for her to be satisfied with the spot they choose for their nest.

Answer: Boston

There they spotted a nice island in a pond of the Public Garden, which looked like a good place for an overnight stay before they continued their nesting quest. The next morning they fished for their breakfast in the mud at the bottom of the pond, but with little luck.

Answer: a boat in the park's pond

The boat is one of Boston Public Garden's famous Swan boats, which appear to have a large swan perched on the back end, covering the pedal mechanism by which the operator moves the boat, and looking forward at the tourists who are taking a ride. Mr and Mrs Mallard were a bit disappointed that the swan wouldn't respond to them, but they were very happy to be fed peanuts by the tourists.

Answer: Mr Mallard is nearly run over by a boy on a bicycle.

Just when Mr Mallard thought he had located a suitable nesting site (no foxes, no turtles, and plenty of peanuts from the tourists), this incident led Mrs Mallard to conclude that this was no place for babies. So on they fly.

Answer: the Charles River

They check out the other three Boston locations, but each has issues. Then they spot an island near the bank of the Charles River, near the Public Garden (and its peanuts), which meets all of their requirements, so they settle down to build their nest.

Answer: Michael

They have lost their flying feathers, but they can still swim, and also walk across the ground to get to the spot where Michael is stationed. Michael feeds them some peanuts, and they make a visit with him part of their daily routine.

Answer: count the eggs

Mrs Mallard lays eight eggs (which is not that many for a mallard, since a clutch is usually 8-13). After about a month, they hatch and the ducklings that emerge are named (in order) Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack. Mr Mallard decides to head off exploring the rest of the river, and Mrs Mallard is kept busy raising the ducklings.

Answer: fly

The ducklings are still too young to fly at the end of the book - it usually is about two months after their birth that mallards are ready to fly. Mrs Mallard also taught them to keep a safe distance from bikes and scooters and other things with wheels. Remember Mr Mallard's incident at the start of the book?

Answer: traffic on the road

When they get to the highway on the far side of the park, they are horrified by all the traffic. Fortunately, Michael sees the problem, and stops the traffic so they can cross the road. Then he organises other policemen to help them through the other intersections on their route, so they arrive safe and sound.

This is the source of the book's title, as all the traffic has to 'Make Way for Ducklings'.

Answer: Mr Mallard

After all, that is what he had arranged when he set off! Mrs Mallard is no longer worried by the cyclists, as she had time to train the ducklings to be careful, so they decide to stay on the island, and swim around behind the tourist boats being fed peanuts. (One hopes they actually organise a more well-balanced diet than the book tells us about!)