"The Ugly Duckling" tells the story of a young duckling who is ridiculed for being different from his siblings. As he grows, he faces rejection and loneliness while searching for a place where he belongs. Despite the harsh treatment from other animals, he remains resilient. Over time, he transforms into a beautiful swan, ultimately finding acceptance and pride in his true identity. The tale conveys themes of self-acceptance, the harshness of bullying, and the beauty that can emerge from adversity, reminding readers that true worth lies beyond appearances. [Generated by language model - please report any problems].
This book has been graded for interest at 4-8 years.
There are 32 pages in this book. This book was published in 2007 by North-South Books .
Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author and poet, most famous for his writing down of many timeless, classic fairy tales. He is Denmark's most famous author and his birthday is celebrated every year with a part called "Odin Story Day". Bernadette Watts was born in Northampton, England, in 1942. She has illustrated over 120 picture books for children, including many traditional tales, in a career spanning several decades. She won the prestigious Japanese Owl Prize for illustration in 1986. She lives in Kent, England.
This book contains the following story:
The Ugly Duckling
A mother duck sits on her eggs. When they hatch she has five pretty ducklings and one ugly grey duckling. ‘How ugly you are, ’ says the mother to her duckling. Wherever they go the message is the same – ugly, ugly duckling. The ugly duckling is so upset he runs away and hides. Spring turns to summer and then winter and the ugly duckling stays hidden away from the mean animals. Then spring returns and the ugly duckling emerges from his hiding place to admire a flock of swans on the river. ‘How beautiful you are’, he says to them. ‘But so are you’, reply the swans and point to the ugly duckling’s reflection in the pond. He follows their gaze and realises he is not an ugly duckling any more but has transformed into beautiful swan.
