Bibliography
Pinkney, J., & Andersen, H. C. 1999. THE UGLY DUCKLING. New York, NY: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN 068815932X
Plot Summary:
On a bright summer day, a mother duck lays on her eggs,
waiting for them to hatch. All six eggs
hatched, but one. It was the biggest one
of all. When last duckling finally did
hatch, it did not look like the others. He
is mistreated and ridiculed by all the others.
And although he is loved by his mother, he feels so unhappy that he
decides to run away. Along the way he
encounters a hunting dog, gets trapped in ice and is also teased by a cat and a
hen. He spends the winter alone and cold
until spring came. He joins a flock of
swans and is happy that they’ve accepted him.
Though he has had a hard and painful journey, he realizes that he has
matured and turned into a beautiful swan.
Critical Analysis:
Very well written folklore picture book appropriate for Kinder through 5th grade. Although this story was adopted from the author H.C. Andersen, Pinkney adds his own magical touch. “They are afraid of me because I am ugly,” so hard to read. It touches your heart and soul.
This story shows the main character overcoming a challenge. As the swan transforms on the outside, he changes from within. The moral of the story is not to judge people based on what they look like.
Pinkney is known for his watercolor paintings. His illustrations demonstrate a delicate and
realistic story where you can see the hate in the ducklings’ eyes as the big
duckling is tumbling out headfirst. He
uses rich details and emotion as you see the murky pond.
At first glance, I did not particularly like the illustrations. But, as I flipped the pages, the beauty of this story is so heartwarming that the illustrations made sense, “the murky twilight of a freshwater pond,” it’s like you are in nature itself.
It reminds me of the saying, “good things come to those who wait.” I decided to read this story to a group of first graders when I noticed that they were excluding a peer for how they looked. We talked about bullying and how they would feel if it happened to them. We concluded with a writing activity, giving this story a different set of events where the animals behaved different.
Review Excerpt(s):
- 2000 Caldecott Medal Honor
- 2000 ALA Notable Children’s Book
- School Library Journal called it "An artistic tour de force that is worthy of its graceful fine- feathered subject."
- The Horn Book Magazine found it "a splendid production."
Connections:
Spanish edition: Orihuela, Luz. EL PATITO FEO. Ill. Por Irene Bordoy. ISBN 9788478647644
Try Easy Readers, “The Ugly Duckling” Teaching Page from Scholastic.com
It's great to see that there are other versions of this classic tale:
- Set in the African continent, THE UGLY DUCKLING by Rachel Isadora ISBN 9780399250293
- Mitchell, Stephen. THE UGLY DUCKLING.Ill. by S. Johnson & L. Fancher ISBN 9780763621599
- Andersen, Christian Hans. THE UGLY DUCKLING. Ill. By Robert Ingpen ISBN 9780698400108
- Bardoe, Cheryl. THE UGLY DUCKLING DINOSAUR: PREHISTORIC TALE. Ill. By Doug Kennedy. A tyrannosaurus rex is hatched in a nest of ducklings. ISBN 9780810997394
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A couple more folktales are:
- Zelinsky, Paul O. RAPUNZEL. ISBN 0525456074
- Asbjornsen, P. C., & Moe, J. E. THE THREE BILLY GOATS GRUFF. Ill. By Marcia Brown. ISBN 0899190359
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