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Seven Diving Ducks
A timely accident helps a little duck conquer his fear of swimming and diving.
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
30 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1940
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 1, 2019
What IS it with all these persecuted little ducklings in children's literature?!? From Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale,
The Ugly Duckling
, in which the anatine hero is kicked out of the nest by his own mother, because he doesn't look like her other hatchlings, to Harvey Fierstein's
The Sissy Duckling
, a recent picture-book offering featuring a young fowl who prefers baking to baseball, and must contend with his father's disapproval as a result, it seems that, in the world of kids books, there is no shortage of ducks in hot water!
Margaret Friskey's Seven Diving Ducks - a picture-book first published in 1940, and reprinted a number of times (1965, 1973) with different illustrations - is another, less well-known example, and follows the story of an unfortunate timid seventh duck, whose difficulty swimming and diving almost cause him to be disowned by his father. "I won't have any sissies in my family," said Father Duck sternly. "You might just as well go and live with the chickens if you can't learn to swim." The threat of being sent away from the family is actually fulfilled, in the course of the story, although a fortunate (or is it?) accident obviates the need, in the end, for any separation.
This book really is terrible - almost laughably so! - and I couldn't help wondering, in the course of reading, whether Harvey Feirstein had the misfortune to read it, in his childhood, thus prompting his contemporary retelling, in which a "Sissy" Duckling becomes the hero. The artwork, done in my (1940) edition by Lucia Patton, is simply adorable (hence the two stars, rather than one), but that only made the bullying behavior of Father Duck - whose youngest offspring, after all, was trying to do what he wanted - seem all the more appalling. A fascinating companion piece, to these other stories of ducks who are different, Seven Diving Ducks is a book I would recommend primarily to scholars researching the history of children's literature, and the depiction of gender and parenting therein.
Margaret Friskey's Seven Diving Ducks - a picture-book first published in 1940, and reprinted a number of times (1965, 1973) with different illustrations - is another, less well-known example, and follows the story of an unfortunate timid seventh duck, whose difficulty swimming and diving almost cause him to be disowned by his father. "I won't have any sissies in my family," said Father Duck sternly. "You might just as well go and live with the chickens if you can't learn to swim." The threat of being sent away from the family is actually fulfilled, in the course of the story, although a fortunate (or is it?) accident obviates the need, in the end, for any separation.
This book really is terrible - almost laughably so! - and I couldn't help wondering, in the course of reading, whether Harvey Feirstein had the misfortune to read it, in his childhood, thus prompting his contemporary retelling, in which a "Sissy" Duckling becomes the hero. The artwork, done in my (1940) edition by Lucia Patton, is simply adorable (hence the two stars, rather than one), but that only made the bullying behavior of Father Duck - whose youngest offspring, after all, was trying to do what he wanted - seem all the more appalling. A fascinating companion piece, to these other stories of ducks who are different, Seven Diving Ducks is a book I would recommend primarily to scholars researching the history of children's literature, and the depiction of gender and parenting therein.
December 30, 2013
The messages and "lessons" contained within this book should not be taught to any child of any age. The core message is that failing is not an option and those who fail at what they are told to do are worthless.
The story focuses on one of the seven ducks who is afraid to swim. What could have been a story about overcoming fear instead becomes a lesson in parental cruelty. The father forces the scared duck to stay up all night practicing swimming and calling him a sissy like some sadistic drill sergeant.
When the duck manages to swim but is still afraid to dive the father declares that the little duck has no place in the family and must go and live with the chickens. Let me clear that this is not some ploy to make the duck "man up" this is done in complete seriousness, with the mother duck doing nothing.
Ultimately the duckling does overcome his fear but that is accomplished by sheer dumb luck and not any kind of actual growth or learning on his part. The book is borderline cruel and the well done artwork does nothing to offset the horrendous message.
The story focuses on one of the seven ducks who is afraid to swim. What could have been a story about overcoming fear instead becomes a lesson in parental cruelty. The father forces the scared duck to stay up all night practicing swimming and calling him a sissy like some sadistic drill sergeant.
When the duck manages to swim but is still afraid to dive the father declares that the little duck has no place in the family and must go and live with the chickens. Let me clear that this is not some ploy to make the duck "man up" this is done in complete seriousness, with the mother duck doing nothing.
Ultimately the duckling does overcome his fear but that is accomplished by sheer dumb luck and not any kind of actual growth or learning on his part. The book is borderline cruel and the well done artwork does nothing to offset the horrendous message.
September 27, 2017
I guess for 1940 this was a great book, but I found it mean. The 7th duck struggles and instead of encouraging the 7th duck, daddy duck belittles him and tells me to go live with the Chickens across the pond. He is just a slow learning and a little shy that needed a little love and encouragement.
I am tempted to discard our copy as it is ancient but we should have old books like this to show how things have changed. I would have withered away if father and mother duck were my parents! :( The sentiment Of "you suck, you will always suck, you can never be good so just go live with the chickens) and then when he does preform they all of a sudden like him...... ridiculous!
I am tempted to discard our copy as it is ancient but we should have old books like this to show how things have changed. I would have withered away if father and mother duck were my parents! :( The sentiment Of "you suck, you will always suck, you can never be good so just go live with the chickens) and then when he does preform they all of a sudden like him...... ridiculous!
October 17, 2024
Really cute illustrations, but kind of a sad story. The father duck is mean and abusive to the poor 7th little duck.
April 30, 2015
I can understand the negative comments about this book. The father is abusive and the mother silent about it. She sheds a tear but that's all. It's a harsh and difficult story for young children, but maybe it could be a tool to teach older boys and girls? Aren't real animals like that? The runt of the litter is pushed away by it's mother and siblings so it can't eat, fish in our aquarium will eat a dead fishie friend, stressed mother squirrels will (you know), birds fight other birds over seeds in our backyard feeder and etc. We can't hide ALL of these harsh truths from our kids. I think it is a good lesson to say that this is the nature of animals: to survive. They aren't being mean. Why do animals act the way they do? HOWEVER, people don't have to be mean to survive. We can choose to share and be kind. Your life can help make our world a happier, more fair place than it is now.
Another lesson I appreciate from this story is about trying. A nicer story about trying new things would be Dr. Seuss' 'Green Eggs and Ham'. Fear of failure or of disappointing your loved ones is real. How many people in their adulthood are living half-lives? It's because they weren't forced to learn that they have to try, that doing nothing is still making a choice, and that it's okay to fail if you learn and grow from it. Failing and struggling and occasionally succeeding is life. Life is not waiting for your easy fairytale to start. The parent ducks know if their duckling doesn't learn to eat and swim and fly, he won't survive very long as a grown up duck. Is it showing real love to let someone continue in a destructive cycle? That's why interventions happen in the first place. Tough love in this story! Maybe duckling would be better off with the chickens for a while, plumping up on handouts. That is, at least, until the owner of the farm decides to have a duck dinner!
It's unusual that my last two comments have been about books I dislike. I just don't like to read so many negative comments about something or someone. Book burning? Really? It makes me determined to find the good in it. It's a dated story but it's survived in our library to this day. There must be some reason for that. I wanted to learn more about the authoress. Did she survive and overcome a difficult childhood? What was her reason for writing this story? I found her obituary in the 'Chicago Tribune' online site. She died in 1995 at age 93. She authored over 100 books. Most of these were geared toward helping children beginning to read. She was a writer inspired to help her youngest son learn to read. The inspiration came during his first grade when he threw a 'Dick and Jane' book up into the air saying, "'It's too stupid to turn the page!' (Mrs Friskey) was determined to do something about it by creating books that had plots and were interesting" (Kenan Heise, Chicago Tribune, 2/28/1995). 'Seven Diving Ducks' was her first children's book. I wish googling revealed more but I'm satisfied for now.
Another lesson I appreciate from this story is about trying. A nicer story about trying new things would be Dr. Seuss' 'Green Eggs and Ham'. Fear of failure or of disappointing your loved ones is real. How many people in their adulthood are living half-lives? It's because they weren't forced to learn that they have to try, that doing nothing is still making a choice, and that it's okay to fail if you learn and grow from it. Failing and struggling and occasionally succeeding is life. Life is not waiting for your easy fairytale to start. The parent ducks know if their duckling doesn't learn to eat and swim and fly, he won't survive very long as a grown up duck. Is it showing real love to let someone continue in a destructive cycle? That's why interventions happen in the first place. Tough love in this story! Maybe duckling would be better off with the chickens for a while, plumping up on handouts. That is, at least, until the owner of the farm decides to have a duck dinner!
It's unusual that my last two comments have been about books I dislike. I just don't like to read so many negative comments about something or someone. Book burning? Really? It makes me determined to find the good in it. It's a dated story but it's survived in our library to this day. There must be some reason for that. I wanted to learn more about the authoress. Did she survive and overcome a difficult childhood? What was her reason for writing this story? I found her obituary in the 'Chicago Tribune' online site. She died in 1995 at age 93. She authored over 100 books. Most of these were geared toward helping children beginning to read. She was a writer inspired to help her youngest son learn to read. The inspiration came during his first grade when he threw a 'Dick and Jane' book up into the air saying, "'It's too stupid to turn the page!' (Mrs Friskey) was determined to do something about it by creating books that had plots and were interesting" (Kenan Heise, Chicago Tribune, 2/28/1995). 'Seven Diving Ducks' was her first children's book. I wish googling revealed more but I'm satisfied for now.
January 23, 2012
This story is about a group of seven ducks, but focuses on one that is afraid to swim. The father of the duck notices one day and is mean to the duck and says he does not belong in the family because it cant swim. The father keeps the duck up all day and night training and practicing until the duck gets it right. This story was very depressing and teaches a lesson more on parent cruelty. I did not enjoy reading this book as you feel very sad for the duck throughout the story.
January 9, 2009
It is so awful and abusive that I tore the covers off and recycled the pages.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews