What do you think?
Rate this book
Classic Books with Holes
Five Little Ducks
This favourite rhyme is read and sung on this audio version.
14 pages, Board Book
First published January 1, 2002
9 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
August 20, 2016
It was good for Indy, but holes in the pages confused him (eyes of animals that didn't need to be there, for example) so I was making things up. Easy to sing along rhymes held his attention.
June 7, 2012
This is an excellent book for nursery or reception children. It features vibrant illustrations that will capture the attention of very young children. The story has a familiar pattern so that children will be able to predict what happens next. The story also helps children learn the names of numbers and introduces the principle of subtraction.
May 8, 2021
Title (italicize): Five Little Ducks
Author: Penny Ives
Illustrator (if separate from author): Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey
Genre: Fiction
Theme(s): Repeating song-like lyrics that emphasize the family reunion.
Opening line/sentence (type directly from text): "Five little ducks went out one day, over the hill and far away".
Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words): This book is about a mother duck and her five baby ducks going on a walk. Each time they go up the hill, one duck baby goes missing. This pattern repeats until there is no duck babies left. Then she"quacks" for them to come back and they all find their way back to their mother duck.
Response to Two Professional Reviews (3-4 sentences in your own words): Karen Leggett emphasizes the nursery rhyme theme in this book and how beneficial this is for childrens memory and understanding. She also points out that the illustrations bring humor to this story, but are also somewhat realistic for the different species. Leggett recognizes that the mathematical aspect of this picture book is a useful tool for young learners to use.
Tell Me Framework (4 sentences in your own words):
Like(s): The simplicity and rhyme.
Dislike(s): Lack of character development.
Patterns(s): One less duck comes back each time.
Puzzle(s): Why did they all magically come back at the end?
Consideration of Instructional Application (3-4 sentences in your own words): I would use this book before beginning a lesson about counting and the idea of subtraction. I would give the children 5 rubber ducks and each time one is taken away they have to say how many are left. This will help introduce the concept of subtraction and addition.
Author: Penny Ives
Illustrator (if separate from author): Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey
Genre: Fiction
Theme(s): Repeating song-like lyrics that emphasize the family reunion.
Opening line/sentence (type directly from text): "Five little ducks went out one day, over the hill and far away".
Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words): This book is about a mother duck and her five baby ducks going on a walk. Each time they go up the hill, one duck baby goes missing. This pattern repeats until there is no duck babies left. Then she"quacks" for them to come back and they all find their way back to their mother duck.
Response to Two Professional Reviews (3-4 sentences in your own words): Karen Leggett emphasizes the nursery rhyme theme in this book and how beneficial this is for childrens memory and understanding. She also points out that the illustrations bring humor to this story, but are also somewhat realistic for the different species. Leggett recognizes that the mathematical aspect of this picture book is a useful tool for young learners to use.
Tell Me Framework (4 sentences in your own words):
Like(s): The simplicity and rhyme.
Dislike(s): Lack of character development.
Patterns(s): One less duck comes back each time.
Puzzle(s): Why did they all magically come back at the end?
Consideration of Instructional Application (3-4 sentences in your own words): I would use this book before beginning a lesson about counting and the idea of subtraction. I would give the children 5 rubber ducks and each time one is taken away they have to say how many are left. This will help introduce the concept of subtraction and addition.
October 23, 2017
This book is perfect for Pre-K and Kindergarten.
Five Little Ducks by Penny Ives is about a mother duck who with five ducklings.As everyday passesa duckling goes missing, one by one. Luckily, when the mother duck decides to go out searching for her ducklings, they all return, seated at her table.
Iv'e heard of the story before, but I've never really listened to it. This is the sweetest little story. At first of coarse it's sad because you feel bad that the mother duckling can't find her ducklings. In the end though, everything has a happy ending.
You could use this book for the beginning of class to get the students minds working. You could also use this book for Pre-K to practice counting from 5 to 0. It's a great way to learn the numbers between 1 and 5 and see what it looks like.
Five Little Ducks by Penny Ives is about a mother duck who with five ducklings.As everyday passesa duckling goes missing, one by one. Luckily, when the mother duck decides to go out searching for her ducklings, they all return, seated at her table.
Iv'e heard of the story before, but I've never really listened to it. This is the sweetest little story. At first of coarse it's sad because you feel bad that the mother duckling can't find her ducklings. In the end though, everything has a happy ending.
You could use this book for the beginning of class to get the students minds working. You could also use this book for Pre-K to practice counting from 5 to 0. It's a great way to learn the numbers between 1 and 5 and see what it looks like.
April 24, 2019
I've read multiple written versions of this song. This one does a good job of pacing the lyrics with the pages. The illustrations hint at reasons the ducklings aren't coming back, but there's no payoff to the hinted at plot.
May 16, 2020
We own a few of these Child's Play sing-a-long board books and they are always enjoyable. The illustrations are sweet (if a little cluttered on the page) and this edition has some fun little cutouts linking each of the pages.
August 31, 2020
Good book to use for young learners, three and under. Uses repetitive and predictable language that will allow the child to sing along or read along with the story. Also it teaches the children counting, by counting the ducks in the story.
September 2, 2020
A traditional songbook. It teaches children how to count down from five to zero. A great book to have when you are teaching your class/ children the song. I would recommend this book as a read-out-loud book for a children's center and for the ages 2 and up.
September 2, 2020
A very cute book! It is a big book, perfect for group reading time. The story is about a mother duck and her five ducklings. A great book to teach children numbers. I recommend this book for ages three to four.
September 2, 2020
I liked this book because it was a big book and that the pictures were colorful and clear. Even though the little ones lost their way, it can show growth because they all find their way back. I would read this to the ages of 2-4 and create an activity to go along with it.
Read
December 3, 2020I put this book on here, mainly because I read this book almost everyday to one of my infant students at work. She recognizes the book and song. She is not a girl full of expression, but this book always makes her smile and dance!
October 26, 2019
The little holes where fun and brought the focus to specific parts of the illustrations.
August 20, 2020
Nice story for counting, can also introduce subtraction. Great for ages 2-4.
August 25, 2020
I think that this book would be good along with the song. Young children can also go along with the book by singing along.
June 5, 2023
Hate all the versions of this book, with the subjects like, dying, or getting eaten, all in the name of learning how to count. Boooooooo.
January 28, 2025
🐥 i’m 4 weeks old n this is below my IQ
June 14, 2025
Love the illustrations! So do the grandkids.
January 6, 2026
We sang this book in music class!
Read
October 17, 2015Title: Five Little Ducks
Author: Penny Ives
Genre: Counting Books
Theme(s): Ducks, Nursery Rhymes
Opening line/sentence: Five little ducks went out one day.
Brief Book Summary: Five little ducklings follow the mother duck around. One by one, one duckling stop following the mother duck. At the end all the ducklings come back.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Children's Literature
Teachers often bemoan the loss of interest in nursery rhymes because they have traditionally been one of the earliest listening and learning experiences for children. They prepare youngsters for the notions of pattern and rhyme. They are often repetitive, which is both comforting and instructive. They are usually silly, adding an element of humor that makes reading fun. Now some of the favorite nursery rhymes and songs have become small board books with holes, each with a different illustrator. In this case, each hole shows a new animal in the world of a duckling—fish, frogs, eels, insects. As pictures of very big fish and even a fox appear, one wonders if the gradually disappearing ducks have permanently disappeared, but on the last day "five little ducks come wandering back." The illustrations are warm and simple, with somewhat realistic detail for animals like the beetle, dragonfly and eel. Part of the "Board Books with Holes" series. 2001, Child's Play, Ages 3 mo. to 3.
— Karen Leggett
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Ives, Penny Five Little Ducks
32 pp. Scholastic/Orchard (Scholastic Trade Division) 2006. ISBN 0-439-74693-0
(3) PS Pleasant colored-pencil and watercolor illustrations show the adventures of five little ducks as they disappear one by one in this version of the traditional children's song. One stops to pick flowers with a cow, another finds a seashell, yet another discovers strawberries. In the end, "all five little ducks / came waddling back," bearing gifts for Mother.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I agree with the two reviews. The book is simple and repetitive but that is comforting for young students and early readers. The illustrations are nice and fit into the cute story. The book is good for pre-school and kindergarten classrooms.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The story is perfect for pre-school and early elementary school students because of its simple text and old nursery rhyme pattern. The text is written at the top of the page in black easy to read font but the text could be bigger to appeal more to young students. There are few word on each page which make the book very approachable for young readers. The brevity of the book also is good for young students because of their short attention spans.
Consideration of Instructional Application: This book could be used to teach students a lesson on counting and numbers. The story uses rhyming patterns and easy to sing text that students can sing to help them remember the order of the numbers.
Author: Penny Ives
Genre: Counting Books
Theme(s): Ducks, Nursery Rhymes
Opening line/sentence: Five little ducks went out one day.
Brief Book Summary: Five little ducklings follow the mother duck around. One by one, one duckling stop following the mother duck. At the end all the ducklings come back.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Children's Literature
Teachers often bemoan the loss of interest in nursery rhymes because they have traditionally been one of the earliest listening and learning experiences for children. They prepare youngsters for the notions of pattern and rhyme. They are often repetitive, which is both comforting and instructive. They are usually silly, adding an element of humor that makes reading fun. Now some of the favorite nursery rhymes and songs have become small board books with holes, each with a different illustrator. In this case, each hole shows a new animal in the world of a duckling—fish, frogs, eels, insects. As pictures of very big fish and even a fox appear, one wonders if the gradually disappearing ducks have permanently disappeared, but on the last day "five little ducks come wandering back." The illustrations are warm and simple, with somewhat realistic detail for animals like the beetle, dragonfly and eel. Part of the "Board Books with Holes" series. 2001, Child's Play, Ages 3 mo. to 3.
— Karen Leggett
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Ives, Penny Five Little Ducks
32 pp. Scholastic/Orchard (Scholastic Trade Division) 2006. ISBN 0-439-74693-0
(3) PS Pleasant colored-pencil and watercolor illustrations show the adventures of five little ducks as they disappear one by one in this version of the traditional children's song. One stops to pick flowers with a cow, another finds a seashell, yet another discovers strawberries. In the end, "all five little ducks / came waddling back," bearing gifts for Mother.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I agree with the two reviews. The book is simple and repetitive but that is comforting for young students and early readers. The illustrations are nice and fit into the cute story. The book is good for pre-school and kindergarten classrooms.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The story is perfect for pre-school and early elementary school students because of its simple text and old nursery rhyme pattern. The text is written at the top of the page in black easy to read font but the text could be bigger to appeal more to young students. There are few word on each page which make the book very approachable for young readers. The brevity of the book also is good for young students because of their short attention spans.
Consideration of Instructional Application: This book could be used to teach students a lesson on counting and numbers. The story uses rhyming patterns and easy to sing text that students can sing to help them remember the order of the numbers.
Read
January 5, 2012I don't know whether you have ever found yourself in a situation of scarcity in terms of reading material per reader. This is the circumstance in which I found myself last night. My sister was apparently reading both The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher and The Tale of Peter Rabbit simulataneously; one cousin had laid claim to Animal Babies in Polar Lands; the other was perusing Goodnight Moon. To me they had allocated a lift-the-flap book on the subject of bunnies; while I am sure it was a very fine work, I am sadly unable to lift flaps.
(Needless to say, my mother and father did nothing to correct this inequity, whereas a bit later when I evinced a passing and merely scientific interest in the cat's food dish, they were of course very much in evidence.)
Fortunately that is when I discovered this little gem. It is of an ideal size and shape, and a very pleasing shade of blue; also on the cover there are pictured the titular duckies. With this volume I was able to regale the few minutes that passed before my relatives departed in quest of some shiny object; whereupon I piled up all of the books in the area and sat on them.
It was a good time.
(Needless to say, my mother and father did nothing to correct this inequity, whereas a bit later when I evinced a passing and merely scientific interest in the cat's food dish, they were of course very much in evidence.)
Fortunately that is when I discovered this little gem. It is of an ideal size and shape, and a very pleasing shade of blue; also on the cover there are pictured the titular duckies. With this volume I was able to regale the few minutes that passed before my relatives departed in quest of some shiny object; whereupon I piled up all of the books in the area and sat on them.
It was a good time.
June 9, 2017
A children's book about 5 little ducklings one-by-one getting lost. There are rhymes and counting down to help kids learn numbers. Not a particularly memorable read.
December 2, 2012
The story line of this book follows a mother duck who is trying to get her baby ducklings to get into the water to swim. One by one, the baby ducklings eventually plop into the water and swim along with their mother. With each turn of the page, another duck has joined to swim with them. Therefore, this would be a great book to implement in the classroom in connection with a math lesson plan for a young classroom. Students will be able to count the ducks as they gain the courage to swim and will be able to see the pattern of continually adding one object. Additionally, this book would allow for a discussion about how it is good to try new things, such as swimming, even if it may seem scary at first--such is the case of each of the ducklings.
October 17, 2013
‘Five Little Ducks’ by Penny Ives is a great traditional rhyme. Children will enjoy singing along with this rhyme and will really get the children engaged. This book will allow children to develop their counting skills. The Holes will help assist parents/ teachers with the telling of the story. Teachers can get the children participating by dressing up and singing along with the rhyme. This book is suitable for children between the ages of one and three. I would definitely recommend this book as it develops various skills.
December 11, 2009
This has been read at story time a few time now, though it was an early read in our story time career. At first, I didn't like, but its grown on me. The repetition in the song is nice. Mike dislikes this song, especailly near the end when no ducks come back. I like to think that this book all happens in one day, or else that isn't a very good momma duck! This particular edition has cute outs.
March 30, 2019
I've always thought this song was kind of strange -- day-by-day, Mother Duck loses her children. But she keeps sending them out and doesn't fret about it too much. And then . . . by the end, they all return home. Where have they been for days?! Is Mother Duck a good mother? But it's got a sweet little tune, it's got counting, and it's got a happy ending. Who knows why certain children's songs are classics. This board book features sort of ominous cut-outs that end up being harmless.
October 18, 2013
I have this one in BIG book format for story time. We used it with the baby class (Mother Goose) and they loved it. They quacked along with the song lyrics and really enjoyed the page cut outs. You can sing this one just as well as read them. There is quite a bit to look at and discover on every page.
February 13, 2015
I used this book for a k-12 special education group (with severe mental disabilities), and they really enjoyed it. Though not original in she slightest, this large book has bold illustrations and is perfect for this particular group. It kept everyone's attention, engaged them in singing the rhyme, and went great with a felt activity.
Great for sensory storytime.
Great for sensory storytime.
January 27, 2009
This book has fabulous illustrations.....a wonderful choice for making observations about the life in and around a pond. The text however is slightly annoying. The author has changed several lines in the song (at least from what I am familiar with) making it rather awkward to sing. Pooh!
February 17, 2012
Love it! This book can be used by a teacher for its repetitive words, rhyming words, predictability so you can ask kids what do you think will happen next? The ducks leave one by one so subtraction can be practiced. I really like this book.
Read
April 16, 2013This classic Nursery rhyme book is a great book to read to children and show off it's vibrant illustrations. This book can be used to teach life in nature. Also, with its predictable pattern children can participate.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews