I thought this book was an enjoyable read. I would say that I wish there was a greater message that the book was trying to get across. ( )

I loved this book as a kid, though I don't know enough to know whether the pictures of the people hold up these days. To me, it's a cute little adventure story. A little duck on the Yangtze river in China hides to avoid a spanking when he's late getting home...but then the boat with his family sails away and he must follow them down the river, dodging lots of different boats, meeting diving birds, and kind boys who think he's too pretty to turn into dinner.

I was disappointed to find that this particular edition is abridged--for some reason I remember particularly well a page in which a man who keeps cormorants feeds them slivers of fish in exchange for the whole ones they catch--but this page is gone, and all it says is that the birds could never eat the fish they catch because of the rings on their necks. I'll gift the book, but I'm sorry it's not the whole thing! ( )

Ping is a young duck on the Yangtze River. He travels by boat with his 42 cousins and other relatives. When he fears getting a spanking for being the last duck on board, he has an adventure when a young boy grabs him and the boy's mom threatens to cook him for dinner, ( )

Since 1933, The Story About Ping has captivated generations of readers. No one can deny the appeal of the book's hero, Ping, the spirited little duck who lives on a boat on the Yangtze River. Ping's misadventures one night while exploring the world around his home form the basis of this timeless classic, which is brought to life by Kurt Wiese's warm and poignant illustrations.
This is the classic story about Ping, a little duck, who finds adventure on the Yantze River. One evening he does not want to be the last one to board his master's houseboat. Readers will be anxious to see how his individuality shines through. -- Scholastic, Inc.

First published in 1933, Ping is a colorfully illustrated story about a domesticated Chinese duck lost on the Yangtze River.