The Ugly Duckling

Ugly Duckling | Book by Hans Christian Andersen, Bernadette Watts | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster

 Title: The Ugly Duckling

Author: Hans Christian Andersen


Adapted and Illustrated by: Jerry Pinkney


Published by Morrow Junior Books (1843)

 

A mother duck was sitting at the pond on six eggs, five small eggs, but the sixth egg was oddly shaped and larger than the others. A couple days later, the give eggs hatched, but the sixth one still laid there. All the duckling were yellow, tiny, very similar ducklings. Finally, the sixth egg cracked, but the duckling looked completely different than the others. Mother duckling was surprised by the big and white duckling. The other ducklings in the family were ashamed and spoke poorly of the new duckling. They said he was an ugly duckling. The duckling was constantly taunted by others. The duckling couldn’t do what the others could. After many failed adventures, the duckling swims in a pond with swans. He tells them that he is ugly, and he doesn’t know why he was hatched. When all the sudden, he turns into a beautiful swan.

 

This book gives off a powerful message. Just because you look different than someone else, or you can’t do what they can, doesn’t mean you don’t have the potential to become something great. For example, the so called “ugly duckling” looked different than his family and couldn’t do the things the others could. Until one day, he surrounded himself with a positive environment and turned into who he was destined to be. I think this is a great book to read to children and a good lesson to teach. This book also includes the topic of bullying. When the other ducklings talk poorly about the duckling or call him names. 

 

I give this book a five out of five. I love the details in the illustrations. Again, I love the message this book puts out!

 

 

 

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