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themahtin's review against another edition
1.0
from the book jacket: "Every child can sympathize with a dawdling duck who wants to avoid a spanking..." Um, no. In the end he ends up taking the spanking so he can get back to his family. No, thanks. Why is this considered a classic?
annabannana's review against another edition
I really dislike the spanking involved in the story, and the idea that's it's good to just take the spanking that's dished out.
A very dated story in several ways. But I enjoyed it as a child, and I think C enjoyed it now.
A very dated story in several ways. But I enjoyed it as a child, and I think C enjoyed it now.
rachandreading's review against another edition
4.0
I never tired of this book as a child. It was one of my favorites.
maryehavens's review against another edition
3.0
Illustrations were great. Not sure why it's part of the children's canon.
elzabetg's review against another edition
5.0
Along with "Make Way for Ducklings," this book is a perennial favorite. Gabriel seems to have a love of ducks!
jogojam's review against another edition
5.0
It was a really good book. I know you've probably read it already but I'll just tell you what it is about if you haven't read it. This duck named Ping lives on a boat with his family and a boy. One day While Ping was outside on land exploring the left without him. So he is swimming and then he gets lost in this pier. So then this boy caputers Ping by luring him with rice. Then he escapes to find his boat waiting at the dock with all his brothers and sisters an cousins and moms and dads and grandparents. Then he gets back on the boat and then the book is basicilly over.
brooke_review's review against another edition
5.0
The classic book, The Story about Ping, is a page turner, featuring a little yellow duck, who, in fear of receiving punishment, hides from it, only to meet something much more sinister. The theme of the book is a combination of “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side,” “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone,” and “there’s no place like home.” Ping, who is personified with human-like feelings, is late arriving to his family’s boat one afternoon. He knows that the last duck across the bridge receives a spank. Instead of taking the spank, he hides and awakes to a world much different from the one he previously knew. Ping encounters birds with rings around their necks, ensuring that they do not eat the fish they catch for their master; he is also caught by a family who wants to cook him for dinner, only to be set free by the family’s little boy. These scenarios all play in to the theme, as Ping did not encounter anything as dangerous as these in his previous life. The theme is fully enforced at the end of the book when Ping spots his family, is the last duck across the bridge, and happily receives the spank that he so readily avoided earlier. The theme and plot work hand in hand – the multiple themes come across as Ping finds himself in various situations.
The book is written in paragraph form and contains a lot of text; however, the wordiness of the book does not take away from the story, but rather adds to it. The text is essential in building suspense, and also to introducing the reader to the life of a duck in Asia. The illustrations appear to be beautiful colored pencil sketches, and the overlaying of colors makes for an appealing visage. The illustrations are also essential in helping the reader imagine life along an Asian river. The boats, people, and animals of this region have a distinct style that is not entirely known to all.
The work is effective in conveying multiple, yet related themes, and can find use as teaching tool or as an entertaining read. This book is an essential purchase for all libraries, as it is a classic that holds a strong message.
The book is written in paragraph form and contains a lot of text; however, the wordiness of the book does not take away from the story, but rather adds to it. The text is essential in building suspense, and also to introducing the reader to the life of a duck in Asia. The illustrations appear to be beautiful colored pencil sketches, and the overlaying of colors makes for an appealing visage. The illustrations are also essential in helping the reader imagine life along an Asian river. The boats, people, and animals of this region have a distinct style that is not entirely known to all.
The work is effective in conveying multiple, yet related themes, and can find use as teaching tool or as an entertaining read. This book is an essential purchase for all libraries, as it is a classic that holds a strong message.
woodendress's review against another edition
I always found this book milding disturbing, because the ducks were being hit with sticks! I read it, but it wasn't a favorite.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
4.0
A classic picture book from our permanent collection. Not one I grew up with, but one our kids grew up with. A hint of a different world. But also how avoiding arbitrary punishment causes other difficulties.
proffy's review against another edition
5.0
In the Story About Ping you have ducks getting whacked, one who practically runs away to not get whacked, enslaved birds, imminent death of the main character to feed humans, and boys tied to boats. The strangest part though is that I absolutely LOVED this book as a child. My mother hated reading it to me because she thought it was too depressing, but I would beg and beg and beg for her to read it one more time. She said some nights I would ask for her to read it three or four times in a row.
This, the strange story of Ping, is the book I learned to read with. What was it about this book that drew me to it? Why did I like this sad tale so much as a child? And why do I still keep the exact same copy read to me as a child on my bookshelf?
I can't answer those questions; I just know that this is the most memorable book of my baby-hood.
This, the strange story of Ping, is the book I learned to read with. What was it about this book that drew me to it? Why did I like this sad tale so much as a child? And why do I still keep the exact same copy read to me as a child on my bookshelf?
I can't answer those questions; I just know that this is the most memorable book of my baby-hood.