The Ugly Duckling

By Hans Christian Andersen, William B. Jones and William B. ,Jr. Jones

The Ugly Duckling is a literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875).

The story tells of a homely little bird born in a barnyard who suffers abuse from his surroundings until, much to his delight (and to the surprise of others), he matures into a beautiful swan, the most beautiful bird of all. The story is beloved around the world as a tale about personal transformation for the better. The Ugly Duckling was first published on November 11th, 1843 with three other tales by Andersen in Copenhagen, Denmark to great critical acclaim. The tale is completely Andersen's invention and owes no debt to fairy or folklore.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Classics Illustrated
• Release date: Jul 11, 2013
• ISBN: 9781620280324

Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Anderson (1805–75) was a Danish writer, best known for his universally recognised children’s fairy tales, of which there are over 150. He also wrote plays, novels, poems and travel essays.

Reviews for The Ugly Duckling

[heidi.donner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is a traditional book that everyone knows growing up. It is about a duckling that is not like the others and is down because of that. In the end of the story the duckling is the most beautiful out of the group. This is a good book to teach students that it is not what is on the outside that counts, its whats in the inside.

[jaimie919 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A mother duck was so impatient waiting for her eggs to hatch. Finally after what seemed like forever they began to hatch. Mother duck noticed that the biggest eggs was the only one that did not hatch. An older duck who came to visit told her that that was a turkey egg and to just leave it. Mother duck did not want to so she sat on it for a little longer. At last it hatched and out came the duckling. This particular duckling was bigger than the rest and was ugly and gray. The mother can begin to think it may be a turkey. If it did not go in the water then for sure it was a turkey. The next day they went to the water and all the ducklings got into the water including the ugly gray one! They all swam to meet the others. As soon as the others saw the other duckling one duck flew to him and bit him. They said they did not want a big and ugly duck around. Soon all the animals who saw the ugly duckling made fun of him. Even his brothers and sisters were mean to him. The poor ugly duckling was so upset he ran away and kept telling himself "I'm so ugly". He then met others who did not care what he looked like. His journey was not over yet! Everywhere he went he got made fun until he reached some beautiful birds. He flew to them and to his surprise he saw his reflection in the water. He did not see an ugly duckling but he saw a creature that looked like the beautiful birds! The ugly duckling was not a duck but a swan! He was not just a swan he was the most beautiful swan! He was finally happy to have found a place he belongs! This is great to show in a classroom when teaching about bullying. It shows children that you should never tease a person because of how they look. It also shows the children who are being bullied that you should never care about what people say about you. One day you will become a beautiful swan!

[jverke_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absoulute stunning version of Hans Christian Anderson's The Ugly Duckling.

[katemccormick2011 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The well-known story of The Ugly Duckling is told by Hans Christian Andersen. It's beautiful and detailed illustrations by Jerry Pinkney won this book a Caldecott Honor. The moral of this story is that even if you are different or unaccepted by your peers, you can still be successful. This lesson can be used in the classroom to teach students about both sides of bullying. I loved this book and the pictures and will definitely use it to teach my students and my own children what this book is all about.

[mburgess_58 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The ugly duckling was not accepted because it was different. All the other animals including its siblings made fun of him. When the duck developed all of its features, it was a beautiful swan. This book can teach children that just because people look different, everyone is beautiful.

[jessicafayed · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Summary:The story begins with 6 eggs with their mother. 5 of the eggs were small and normal, but the 6th one was huge and abnormal. All 5 of the normal eggs hatched and the 6th one took extra long. When the egg finally hatched the ugliest duckling came out of it. The ugly duckling was made fun of by everyone even his mother. So he ran away. At the end of the story he became to be the prettiest swan of all.Personal Reaction:As I read the book I felt so sad for the poor ugly duckling. The book taught me that real happiness comes from within. The prettiest people are the ones who are pretty inside, not just outside. This book is one of my favorites. Classroom Extension Ideas:

[kk903148 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Summary:The Ugly Duckling tells a story of a baby swan chick that was born into a duck's family. The swan chick did not know that he was a completely different type of bird then the ducklings. Therefore, he just thought that he was a ugly duckling and so did everyone else. After running away and almost not making it through the harsh winter, the swan chick saw a flock of beautiful birds flying back from migration. He then decided that he was going to follow these beautiful birds whether they made fun of him or not. However, when he got into the water and saw his own reflection, he realized that he was not an ugly duckling, but a beautiful swan. Personal Reaction:I think it is a wounderful story that teaches children that it is not very good to judge a book by its cover. I love the story and personaly. I would read this to a group of first graders.Extension Ideas:1. Do further research on where swans live and where they migrate to.2. Create a vocabulary list or spelling list from the words in the story.

[marissawilliams-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian AndersonSummary:The Ugly Duckling tells a story of young swan that was somehow hatched with a family of ducks. He was teased because he did not fit in. He was tall, awkward, and ugly. While still just a young swan, he ran away looking for a place to fit in. He traveled many places and overcame many obstacles when finally, when had grown into swan, he found a group of swan that excepted. He thought they were so beautiful. It wasn't until he swam with them and saw his own reflection that he too was a swan, and he was the most beautiful of them all.Personal Reaction:This book is great for young children that are learning to treat others kindly. It reveals how even the most beautiful being can be mistreated, and even though others may not fit in, one day you will find your place in the world.Classroom Extention Ideas:1. Have children tell a story of a time they didn't fit in.2. Have children reach out to one person that is being teased.

[catherinewillett · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“The Ugly Duckling” was a beautifully designed book. The way the pages were set up to highlight the illustrations was my favorite part. The text always had an outline, around the boarder of either the page or the section of the page that contained text, using a color from the illustration. With the thin colored outline I never forgot to look at the illustration. Also, depending on how the picture was oriented the text was placed in different areas. If the illustration was vertical, it took up the page right next to the text that went with it. or directly below. But, if the illustration was horizontal, it took up two pages and the text was below. I always believed that moral of this story is be who you are and not be ashamed of it.

[kbesaw-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After being born "different" than his brother and sisters he feels ashamed and so one night when everyone is asleep he leaves his family. He goes through many challenges as he searches for a place where he can feel like he belongs. As time passes the ugly duckling turns into a beautiful swan and he finally feels like he fits in.

[riao-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this book and always have! It's a classic by Hans Anderson about being true to yourself and accepting yourself for who you are. The ugly duckling faces many challenges in acceptance and ultimately finds himself and becomes a beautiful swan.

[pinkney332 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jerry Pinkney's retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling includes realistic looking illustrations and a heart-touching message. Every picture is rich with color and emotion. This classic tale is brought back to life by Pinkney who creates breathtaking illustrations to enhance the meaning and beauty of the original story. Along with the glorious illustrations, which tell the story by themselves, Pinkney adds a few tweeks to the storyline to make it his own. The illustrations, combined with the famous story about seeking to find acceptance are sure to move readers. Readers young and old will enjoy Pinkney's The Ugly Duckling.

[nchap_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I gave this book 5 stars because I really enjoyed this book and it's been around for a long time passed from generation to generation.

[dennislankau · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This classic story is about is what to believed to be an ugly duck bor into a life of ridicule an dbullying. His life begins when he hatches as a much larger white with a black bill duckling. All the other ducklings are a pretty yellow color. He is chased by his brothers and sisters, pecked at by the other hens. Even a hunting dog won't eat him. He runs away and is found by an old woman who owans a cat who can purr and a hen who can lay eggs. The old woman is sure the duck can lay an egg too so the ugly duckling is aloud to stay, but he gets restless and leaves the house. He wants to swim. Soon autumn comes and then winter. It was getting cold out , he was near death when found by a man and his two children. They brought him back to their home. When he awoke, he was frightened and he flew out the door. He lasted the rest of the winter, miserable and alone. In the spring he saw a flock of beautiful birds which he swam over to. While splashing and flapping his wings, he looked down at the water and saw one of those beautiful birds. Soon he realized he had turned into one of those beautiful birds.*Use in k-3 classroom. Teaches the seasons and opens the topic of diversity and bullying.

[elainaberger · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story is a great for students who feel like they don't fit in with the group. It helps students know and understand that they are still special.

[cjfox73 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The message of this story can't be beat, and the telling of it in this version is sweet and true. Illustrations are beautiful soft watercolors that caputre life on the water.

[mluke04 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I labeled this book as a fairy tale because it was adapted from "Andersen's Fairy Tales". Even though this story does not contain magic, it does contain character that are both good and evil, and the story is used to teach a moral. The moral is that patience is necessary to discover a person's true beauty.The illustrations in this book show the reader the way the ugly duckling looks compared to his duck brothers and sisters with their beautiful duck feathers. The illustrations also show the shock of the mother duck when she sees her last "duckling". The illustrations move the story along and add to the text as the ugly duckling tries to find where he fits in.Media: Watercolor

[acwheeler · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book was ok but kind of depressing because the poor duckling does not find his friends or anybody that likes him until the end when he fianlly grows into a beautiful swan. I would not read this book to my class.

[szanes_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a beautifully adapted version of the original fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson. The language is as artful as Jerry Pinkney's watercolors, which are stunning in themselves. Lovely ending. The integrity of this story was well-preserved.

[ebruno_11 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An oversized ugly baby duck is an outcast in his pond. Being tired of getting laughed at and made fun of, the duck leaves the pond and ventures out to find where he fits in. Not being accepted anywhere, he suffers alone, until one day, he realizes he has turned into a beautiful swan.

[silly_tine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This version of The Ugly Duckling is a great retelling of the classic story, with an enriched exploration of the Ugly Duckling's feelings and experiences. The illustrations are stunning. My three children, ages 3-5, are enthralled. And because of the nuance and complexity of the story, this will continue to be a family favorite for years to come.

[elliegiles · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jerry Pinkney's illustrations make this story about an ugly duckling come to life. A classic story children are sure to enjoy.

[dangerlibearian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great adaptation of a classic but alas too long for storytime.

[dalial. · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Genre: fairytaleWhy it fits this genre:-The main character takes on an unusual form in that it talks.-It teachers a lesson-It has a happy endingI would use this book to:-to have students compare this version to the original version of the ugly duckling-to teach students plot and resolutionSummary: This story is about a duckling who is born in a barn and is considered ugly because he is big. After getting tire of being teased by all the other animals in the barn, the duckling leaves his home and spends a rough year in the real world. Once spring comes along, the ugly duckling becomes a beautiful swan.Media: watercolorCritique: "The Ugly Duckling" is a good example of fairytale because the characters in the book take on an unusual form, it teaches a lesson, and it has a happy ending. The characters in the story take on an unusual form in that they are talking animals. The story teaches the lesson that we should not let our appearance define us. Like fairytales, the story has a happy ending because it ends with the "ugly duckling" transforming into a beautiful swan.

[kelseyjenkens · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. The word choice and theme of this story really captured my interest. A group of ducklings hatched one day and they all looked the same, except for one. Everyone in the pond called him "The ugly duckling." He wondered why he was ugly all of his life until one day he swam upon beautiful swans. He then realized that he never was a duck after all. He was the most beautiful swan. The reason I love this theme is because it teaches young children the aspect of self appreciation and recognizing identity. Another reason I loved this book was because of the illustrations. They were very subtle and portrayed the mood on every page. They did not take away from the story itself and I thought that was a very good thing.

[restock_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful artwork that only adds the classic tale of the ugly duckling who was really a beautiful swan. The struggles that the duckling goes through are made apparent in word and illustrations. Classic story 

[ryann0423 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the typical ugly duckling story, where a mother duck as 5 eggs that look the same and the 6th one looks different. When they 6th egg is born he looks different and is called the ugly duckling. He goes through life being made fun of for being ugly but in the end grows up to be a beautiful swan. This book is very wordy, but is still great for a read aloud and it teaches kids to not make fun of anyone for what they look like, because they may be a beautiful creature or person. It also shows kids that things don't always stay bad, there is always a good ending.

[tirzahb_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Summary: a gooses egg has gotten mixed up in a ducks nest when the eggs hatch every one notices something different about the goose, as a result of him being different his siblings treated him badly. one day the goose runs away , and when he comes back he turns out to be the most beautiful bird of all Personal reaction: I have read many versions of this book, and I personally didn't like this one, it was very long, and it was sad, because of the hunters that were in this story added more harshness to this story. when my 9 yr old read it ti made him cry.classroom extension: 1. I can have the students talk about the story and how it made them feel 2. I can share the importance of judging others by their looks.3. I can have the children to draw two pictures one of an ugly duck and one of a beautiful goose .

[vanessa7b7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Summary: This story is about a duckling who is believed to be uglier than the rest of the ducks. He is a grey color where as the other ducks are a pretty yellow. He is teased and bullied for being different and "ugly". He leaves his family and has an adventure. A long the way he turns into a beautiful swan.Personal Reflection: This is a classic book, I remember reading it when I was younger. I think that this book has great pictures and has a good lesson to teach kids.Class Extension Ideas:-use it as a lesson on not making fun of others-use it to take about ducks and swans

[kellyholmes-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A classic picture book story!