John Philip Duck

by Patricia Polacco

Edward loves his pet duck more than anything. He raised it from a baby, and now it follows him everywhere, even to the big fancy hotel in Memphis where he works with his father. Everyone at the Peabody loves to watch that little duck do tricks; why, it can even waddle up and down in time to a John Philip Sousa march, which is why Edward decides to name it John Philip. But one day the hotel owner finds John Philip in his lobby fountain and he is NOT amused. Until Edward has an idea. What if he can train a bevy of ducks to march along behind him, swim in the fountain all day, and then march out every evening? If Edward can do that, the owner tells him, he and John Philip will have a permanent place at the Peabody. But can it really be done?

Based on the real-life tradition of the Hotel Peabody Ducks, Patricia Polacco's latest picture book is one of her most charming to date.

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Music, Historical

48 pages, Hardcover

First published June 17, 2004

About the author

Patricia Polacco is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator with around seventy beloved and award-winning books to her credit, including The Keeping Quilt, Pink and Say, The Blessing Cup, Chicken Sunday, and Thank You, Mr. Falker. She resides in Michigan.

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this didn’t appeal to me, which is one reason it’s in my last group of Polacco read books. However, I ended up being completely charmed.

I love Polacco’s book dedication: “In loving memory of Robert McCloskey, inspiration to me since I was a child."

Because, this is a fictional story based on the resident ducks at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. Polacco researched how the custom got started and found out about the first Peabody Duckmaster. Then, she used her imagination to create this story.

During the depression Edward and his father work at a hotel during the week. Edward finds a duck and is allowed to keep it. I love the hotel scenes; I love animals in hotels! I was touched how both Edward, and his duck too, managed to save a bunch of other ducks from hunters.

This is one of a relative few of Polacco’s children’s picture books that could be enjoyed by some preschoolers, as well as her typical school aged audience. It’s an inspiring story and the illustrations are lovely too.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Edward Pembroke - a young African-American boy working with his father at the famous Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, during the Great Depression - finds an abandoned duckling during one of his weekends home on the family farm, he pleads to be allowed to keep his new anatine friend as a pet. Reluctantly, his father agrees, and soon the entire staff at the Peabody is conspiring to keep the existence of John Philip Duck - named after Edward's hero, composer and conductor John Philip Sousa - a secret from hotel manager, Mr. Schutt. When the inevitable discovery comes, Edward makes a cases for allowing the duck to stay: as part of a trained act that will amuse hotel patrons.

A completely fictional story, based on a real-life circumstance - the Peabody Hotely in Memphis is indeed famous for its fountain ducks, which were originally trained by an Edward Pembroke, a former circus animal trainer - John Philip Duck is an engaging book, with Polacco's trademark vivid illustrations. But although it is pleasant and entertaining, I didn't find it anywhere near the equal of some of this author/artist's other books, and would primarily recommended it to Polacco fans, or to children who are visiting the Peabody.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is charming and engaging. Based on a true story but told like something utterly fictional, this books transports the young reader into a time that rarely visited in quality children's literature. We enjoyed the suspense and the joy of this story. My 4 year old was astounded that wild ducks could be trained to ride elevators, swim in fountains and march to John Phillips Sousa. The most enjoyable part for us was the ending and the kind of magic that it seemed to be.

[Fourth Grade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a great story, full of fun, responsibility, and willing to give up everything for your friend. The book was John Philip Duck by Patricia Polacco and she did a marvelous job doing pictures, figurative language, and including some comedy to it. With all those things mixed together, that makes a perfect story. Enough of that, we need to get down to business! So there's this family, and Edward and his Dad work all day for Mr. Schutt, the owner of the Peabody Hotel and Edward one day finds this scrawny little duck, one that was left behind. Later, he grows up, and knows how to waddle, but walks up and down the hotel! Soon, he was caught and thrown into into a cage. It's up to Edward to save the little duck! I would recommend this book to 1st graders- 2nd graders.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun story! It’s about a young boy that brings his pet duck to a hotel in Memphis where he works, and how he eventually trains some ducks to march and jump in the lobby fountain. And the essentials are true! In fact, it’s a tradition that still stands at The Peabody Hotel. There’s even a Ducky Day package so you and your kiddos can stay a night and experience the fun for yourselves. I want to go sometime. Adding to my bucket list!

Ages: 3 - 10

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another outstanding Polacco that would be extremely special to anyone who has had the pleasure of viewing the Peabody ducks in Memphis. Our junior high kids actually enjoy this one when studying the depression.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fictional story of how the world-famous Peabody ducks came to be parading twice-daily into the hotel's fountain penned like no one other than Polacco can do.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to visit The Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN. http://www.peabodymemphis.com/peabody...

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all loved this book. Patricia Polacco is a favorite author of ours. Jacob and Ellie's great grandpa played with John Philip Sousa and it makes this book even more special to us.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: Edward was a sweet boy who lived with his family on a small farm just outside Memphis in the foothills of Tennessee. Times were hard. there was a depression on and money was hard to come by. Even though Edward was just a lad, he and his father worked at the same hotel in Memphis. During the work week they stayed at the hotel, but on the weekends they both went home.

Premise/plot: Edward finds an abandoned little duckling; he decides to raise it as his very own. He takes the duck to work with him--at first with the intent to keep him completely out of sight. He teaches the duck tricks--trains him. The boss isn't happy to discover the duck in his hotel, but, he's happy enough when he sees the duck perform. Can Edward train other ducks too?! He's given a month. Will it be enough time?!

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one very much. Parents should definitely introduce their children to the music of John Philip Sousa before or after reading this one. (Sousa in Stereo). Edward LOVES, LOVES, LOVES Sousa's marches, and he trains his ducks to "march" to Sousa.

The goal becomes to train the ducks to march through the lobby and into the lobby's fountain, and to stay in the fountain and swim all day. At the end of the day, they will march out again. That is if all goes according to plan.

This one is loosely based on a true story. There are ducks at the Peabody hotel that were/are trained to do just that. Edward and his father are fictional representatives of that first duckmaster.

Text: 4 out of 5
Illustrations: 4 out of 5
Total: 8 out of 10

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this story a whole lot better than I did, The Peabody Ducks. But I'd like to know just how much of the story is based on fact. Here's what the note at the end of the book has to say:

This entirely fictional story of a young man who dared to bring his pet duck to the marbled halls of the famous Peabody Hotel was inspired by the legend of the Peabody Ducks and by the personnel of the Peabody who found a truly original role for the first duck and all of its mates ever since, a role that has lasted for over sixty years.

"Entirely fictional." And yet, there is a Peabody hotel, a red carpet, lodging for ducks on the roof, and a fountain. Is there any truth to the characters or the origins of the tradition?

I also appreciate the opportunity to share some of Sousa's marches with my young audience so we can hear the music that inspired the duck.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the acknowledgment to McCloskey.

I am a Polacco devotee. A boy works with his father at a hotel. When he rescues a duckling, the whole staff help keep it secret from the manager. When the manager finally discovers him, he gives Edward a week to train other ducks as well as he had his own to create an attraction.

A fictional tale inspire by the legend of the Peabody ducks and the Peabody staff. Maybe a 4.5 with the McCloskey memory and the Peabody ducks...

[Grace Avender · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute book and inspired by my beloved Robert Mccloskey!

[Audrey Sauble · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading this book, on request, to my preschooler every night for the past two weeks.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edward Pembroke works with his father at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. There is a depression going on and times are hard all around. Edward and his Pa work during the week at the hotel and sleep there. Then, on the weekends they go back home to their farm. Edward loved his time at home listening to the radio especially when John Philip Sousa and his brass band played. Edward would dance around the house to the lively music. Even though Edward was a hard worker, he was also a dreamer. One day while working in the fields he saw a flock of ducks flying over. He loved watching them fly in their “V” formation and pointed them out to his Pa. He secretly wished he could be with them and pet them. Then one weekend while doing his chores he heard a noise in the bulrushes around the pond. When he peeked in he found a little duckling with no mother. He scooped him up and took him home. After much talk, he finally convinced his father to let him take the duck with them to the hotel during the week. All of the hotel staff helped hide the duck from the stern Mr. Schutt. The duckling grew big enough to get out of his box by the heater and began to wander the halls. Mr. Schutt almost seen him! The staff had to work extra hard to keep the duck hidden. After Mr. Schutt had left for the day Edward let the duck walk around. He had been teaching the little duck some tricks. He showed the staff what the duck could do. Edward tapped out a beat with his stick and the duck twirled around and jumped in the fountain. Edward decided to name the duck “John Philip” after his favorite musician. When a group of hunters staying at the hotel picked up the escaped duck by mistake, Edward had to explain the duck was his to Mr. Schutt to get the duck back. Mr. Schutt was not amused but after Edward showed him the ducks tricks he gave Edward an offer. If Edward could train more ducks to follow John Philip he could have a new job, but he only had one month. Luckily, Edward trained all the ducks to ride the elevator, march out into the lobby, and swim in the fountain all day. Edward got a new uniform and was named Official Duckmaster of the Peabody Hotel.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot Summary:
An African-American boy named Edward and his dad work at The Peabody Hotel in Memphis. Edward keeps a duck as a pet, taking it to the hotel with him, and the duck is the beginning of the infamous Peabody Ducks.
Personal Evaluation:
This book is a delightful fiction story about a child having dreams and working toward those dreams. I love the illustrations and would recommend it highly for older children, since the text is longer and the content a little deeper than typical picture books.
Memorable Literary Element:
Patricia Polacco creates very strong characters – Edward and Mr. Schutt are presented so clearly by the words Polacco uses to describe them (Edward as the dreamer, happy and full of ideas; Mr. Schutt as the huge, booming voiced-man who still had a kind, fair side). The facial expressions help to solidify these characters.
Illustrations:
The illustrations fill the entire page and make you feel like you are there with Edward. They look like they are done with pastels and watercolors, and Polacco uses a full range of beautiful colors. The expressions on the faces of the people are the best! You can tell exactly what they are thinking or feeling.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a fascination with ducks. Something about how they take care of one another and how they fly in formation amazes me. Whenever I see ducks, I think it’s a sign of good luck and of course, when they fly overhead…. I have to stop and watch. Patricia Polacco’s book titled John Philip Duck was a fun and delightful book about a boy and his duck. Patricia tells her story with wonderful illustrations that capture your heart and can tell the whole story just by looking at the pictures. I really enjoy the individual faces in her book. By just looking at the characters facial expressions, you can feel their emotions and the story coming through. Her stories are quite lengthy as she has a heartfelt story to tell so don’t expect to finish this story in a few minutes but the time spent is well worth it. Patricia takes you back through time as the ducks swim around in the hotel lobby after the bellman has rolled out the red carpet for them, you’re so proud of Edward and his hard work that you feel the music as he taps his stick. Patricia did it again with another outstanding book.

[Ruhama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edward is a young black man who lives during tough times in Tennessee. He and his father work in the nearby city at one of the posh hotels. One day, Edward finds a baby duck and asks if he can keep him, including taking him to work. His father finally relents, and eventually the
entire staff falls in love with John Philip Duck. Everyone except the owner, that is—Mr. Schutt is a hard man who runs a strict hotel, and when he finds out about the duck, he gives Edward one month to train him to march down to the lobby fountain, swim all day and then march back up
to the roof, where a pen was built. Edward is successful, and the duck is saved.

Polacco has written a heartwarming story about a boy overcoming ‘the man.’ Edward is a likeable boy, and his love for his duck is touching. And the way the staff fall in love with the duck is cute. The artwork is colorful and detailed, easily capturing emotions and action. The
storyline itself will keep readers and readees listening attentively for the entire book.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a wonderfully done fictional story, although you think as you are reading it; it's real. It's a different type of story not the 'same ol same ol' you are used to reading as a children's book. A little boy and his dad has to work away from their families during the week. One weekend when they were working at their farm when wild ducks flew over, he found a small baby one that had been left. He took it and cared for him. He took him to the motel where he and his dad worked 'hiding' him from the owner in the kitchen. Soon the staff loved the duck. In the end the owner did find out about the duck but the little boy showed that the duck 'danced' to a certain music...(thus where he got his name.) The owner was impressed and gave the boy permission to train a few more to be 'motel' ducks... won't stay the rest of the story but it is a very touching story very well written and illustrated! loved it!

[Livvie Esslinger]

This is the life story of Edward Pembroke, the duckmaster of Peabody Hotel. He started out, as a boy, working at the hotel with his father during the depression. After the hotel staff somewhat adopts and protects Edward's pet duck as their own, they discover the duck can march in form to the tapping of Edward's stick. When the hotel owner finds out, he makes Edward a deal. In keeping his end of the bargain, Edward teaches many ducks how to put on a marching show and stay in the fountain of the hotel all day long for people to see. Seeing as this was a big hit, Edward became the duckmaster at the Peabody for the next fifty years.

I picked this book, because I have really enjoyed some of Patricia Polacco's stories before. Although the basis of this story is interesting and historical, I drifted throughout it.

This book would be good for 3rd or 4th grade. It is informative and cultural; however, it requires an attention span.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun and whimsical tale about ducks who swim in a fountain at a hotel and march in line on cue to marching songs by John Philip Sousa. We love Patricia Polacco's books and we are working our way through her bibliography slowly. This was a great story to read aloud and we really enjoyed it.

I'm glad that we found this book. It was nominated here for the March 2011 Music-themed reads for the Picture-Book club in the Children's Books group here at Goodreads. It wasn't selected as one of the books for discussion, but I thought it would be a fun and interesting story and indeed, it was.

[Andrea Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written and illustrated book. This is a fictional story (loosely based on actual events) about how the tradition of the ducks that march through the lobby at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis came to be. Having seen the ducks in action before I was delighted by this story. If I had never seen this event I think I would still be intrigued by this read. Kids will be at the end of their seats waiting to see if this little boy's dream becomes a reality and they will not be disappointed. From start to finish a page turner with an engaging plot and lovely, detailed illustrations to add to the experience. If you have never seen this tradition you will feel like you have been there after reading this book.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with most of Polacco's stories, John Philip Duck is loosely based on actual facts. As a young boy, Edward was fascinated by ducks, while he worked at a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. Finding a fledgling on his family's farm, he decided to raise it with love and care, even bringing it with him to the hotel during the week. The little duck was soon 'adopted' by most of the staff, but worried about the owner finding out.

Edward began training the duck to march to Sousa's music, and this unique training began a long tradition of marching ducks in the hotel lobby. Based on Edward Pembroke's way with the ducks and eventually becoming the Peabody Duckmaster for more than 50 years, this is a heart-warming story of compassion and loyalty.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really interesting, realistic fiction book. It was about a young boy who taught ducks to walk through a hotel and swim in the fountain. It is colorful, funny, and supenseful at times. The book is a good one for a read aloud. There are many characters, so voices are a must when reading it. The book is fast paced and will make any young children laugh out loud! It would be a good book to use to introduce supporting details with. The words in the book are very descriptive and would make for a good response activity.

[Katelyn Dauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book John Philip Duck by Patricia Polacco is a story that is loosely based on the true story of the origin of the famous Peabody Hotel ducks in Memphis, TN, a small flock of ducks that perform each day in the hotel lobby and swim in the fountain. Polacco researched and wrote the story of Edward Pembroke, the first Peabody Duck master after many stays at the hotel. It is the story of a young boy learning responsibility and his life mission through saving and training the ducks. Polacco both wrote and illustrated this story.

[Lacey Bolen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and think it could be a great read aloud for around second grade. I think it could work really well with a lesson on problem and solution, cause and effect, or plot development. There is a great variety of sentence structure as well as dialogue and as always Patricia Polacco's illustrations are a wonderful addition.
As I read more Patricia Polacco books I was thinking it could be a good project for students to do a short research project on an author of there choice.

[lucien alexander “sasha” · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading this book with my Guided Reading group. The illustrations are lush and energetic, and the story highlights the perseverance and creativity of its main character. There are some good moments for discussing economic depression/ hardship, class, and race with early grade readers, too. I enjoyed this imaginative fictionalized backstory for the Peabody ducks (which I have seen in real life, and which are super cute ^_^).

[Dave Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read about how to use your imagination to overcome challenges. When Edward earns the right to have an orphan duck continue to accompany him to the hotel where he trains the duck to march along with other ducks who are welcome then he trains them how to swim in the hotel fountain. A feel good, entertaining story especially for ducks everywhere. Historical fiction, 2004

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fictional story was inspired by the actual Peabody Ducks. The Peabody Memphis (Hotel) has been featuring the Peabody Ducks since 1933. Polacco's spin on the origin of the ducks and illustrations are inspiring and fun. I especially enjoyed the scenes in which the Peabody staff help to keep John Philip Duck hidden.

[Amy Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

We had fun reading this. At the right moment in the story I hit play on "Stars and Stripes Forever" on my phone, and then finished the book with it as background music. And, yes, what I hear in my head with that march is "Be kind to your web-footed friends...," so it is a perfect accompaniment in two ways.