the ugly duckling, rejected by his siblings and mother, runs away. He journeys to the marshes where he meets wild ducks and geese and watches as they are slaughtered by hunters, is told by a cat and hen that he does not possess the right talents, and is later rescued by a farmer from freezing fast in a pond. Eventually, he realizes his true identity and is happy with himself but modest because "a good heart never shows pride.
Not especially well written, this didn't hold the attention of my Kindergarten class very well. Jerry Pinkney is a better illustrator than a children's author.
This is a really great story that teaches a good lesson in the process. The illustrations are beautiful as well. It can be used in many ways in the classroom as the duckling experiences a lot of emotions on its journey.
ISBN 072145304x - A little harsh-seeming to some adults, I still think this is an awesome teaching opportunity for kids AND a cute book. Sure, the little guy is told he's ugly and chased from everywhere he goes... but there's the moment when the mother duck says "I love you anyway", the farmer who takes him in, and the moment he realizes he's a swan!
This particular version (ISBN 072145304x) has an added bonus, with "picture-word matching" - small illustrations that match to bold text, and a great chance to start little ones on their way to recognizing written words.
This is a nice hardcover classic story by Hans Christian Anderson.
Annotation
Hans Christian Andersen's heart-warming tale of the Ugly Duckling, who grows up to be a beautiful swan, is brought to life by Jan Lewis' enchanting and amusing illustrations. With rhyming text that's fun to read aloud, and lots to look at on every page, this really big board book is sure to delight young children.
From the Publisher
Large, full-color, richly detailed illustrations characterize this retelling of the famous Hans Christian Andersen tale.
Synopsis
The classic tale where the little duckling learns that appearances are not everything.
From The Critics
Book Magazine
An unusually beautiful version of an old favorite.
Publishers Weekly
Crossley-Holland (Storm) and So (The 20th Century Children's Poetry Treasury) bring out all the luster of Andersen's classic tale in this beguiling book. The familiar sequence of events unfolds in a courtly retelling shot through with flashes of humor ("That's a turkey's egg," says a duck elder authoritatively before the "duckling" hatches; "Waddle properly keep your legs well apart, like I do," the mother duck urges her strange child). Crossley-Holland's prose is as elegant as it is lyrical ("Sunlight settled on the shoulders of the ancient castle"; "A great skein of wild geese started up"; "Clouds sagged with snow and hail"). So's dexterous, impressionistic watercolors soar between blocks of text on the spreads for a highly dynamic presentation. The images are by turn droll, dreamlike and bittersweet, ranging from a dog splashing wildly through the marsh and the busy congress of a barnyard to the supple arch of a bird's neck against a winter sky. The equal of the striking prose, So's graceful brush strokes and expressive use of line issue an irresistible invitation to readers. Ages 5-8. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
The translation of Andersen's Danish text (copyright page states simply that this is adapted from W. Angeldorff's translation) may be dense and formal, but Italian artist Angaramo's full-bleed spreads are anything but. Novel visual angles, human expressions on the faces of the animals, and plenty of bright greenery and golden sun convey a feeling of optimism at odds with the sober tale. Angaramo's duckling is a tiny grayish fellow with huge feet and cheerful pinprick eyes. The text describes the trials he undergoes because of his odd appearance: "the poor ugly duckling was bitten, pushed, and sneered at both by the ducks and the hens." But though Angaramo's ugly duckling stands alone in the big barnyard (viewed from bird's-eye level, the barn and haystacks appear as high as mountains), the animals who encircle him talking excitedly, with shining eyes; they might be complimenting his nice gray plumage. Even in the worst of the cold ("Just thinking about winter was enough to make one feel frozen, and the poor duckling certainly had a very bad time of it"), Angaramo's duckling lifts his wings happily, a smile on his face. As an introduction to Andersen's traditional tales, this is as benign an entry as parents could hope to find. Ages 4-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
