The ugly duckling who grew up to be a swan is the best-loved and most touching of all Hans Christian Andersen's stories. Here, Kevin Crossley-Holland brings a poet's magic to a picture book version that cries out to be read aloud. Meilo So's gorgeous paintings of farmyard animals, hunstmen, wild geese and swans are full of character and spirit and are set against wonderful scenes of the changing season. As for the ugly duckling himself, he has the pathos and charm to make this book irresistible.
There are 40 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 2001 by Hachette Children's Group .
Kevin Crossley-Holland is well-known as a poet, broadcaster, and writer for children. He won the Carnegie Medal in 1985. For Oxford, he has written The Green Children and adapted Beowulf for children. MARY JOSLIN is the author of a number of storybooks for children. Some of her titles are: The Goodbye Boat, The Minstrel's Tale and The Heaven Tree.
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 ducklings reflection in the pond. He follows their gaze and realises he is not an ugly duckling any more but has transformed into beautiful swan.
