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.

This book is in the following series:

First Reading Level 4

Usborne First Reading
The Usborne Reading Programme is a collection of over 300 reading books, graded in seven levels and covering a wide range of subjects, both fiction and non-fiction. The First Reading programme covers the first 4 levels. Level 1: Designed to be the first real books a beginner will tackle, with very light support from a parent or teacher. They are 32 pages in length, comprising the main story (up to 150 words) and up to six pages of fun, reading-related puzzles.Level 2: these books stretch the reader a little more than Level One, with more advanced storylines. They are 32 pages in length, comprising character pages or maps, the main story (up to 250 words) and reading-related puzzles.Level 3: these titles encourage the reader to develop reading stamina. Stories include a strong element of repetition, with repeated language to help the reader gain confidence.Level 4: these titles continue to build readers' stamina with stories of up to 750 words. The narrative is more devel