Review: THE UGLY DUCKLING, Module 3, Traditional Tales

Pinkney, Jerry. 1999. THE UGLY DUCKLING. New York: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN # 0688159338

In this classic tale a new duckling is born different. He is teased and picked on by the other ducks from the beginning. The Mother duckling sticks up for him as any mother would, “He may not be quite as handsome as the others, but he is tall and very strong. I am sure he will make his way in the world as well as anybody.” She is quite accurate in her prediction. The ugly duckling perseveres through verbal and physical abuse and a scare from a hunting dog. He does find kind friends but just does not fit in. He finally makes it through the winter but not before nearly freezing to death. He is finally rewarded for all his struggles when he realizes he is not a duck at all but an able bodied, beautiful swan. Best of all he finds that there is a place for him, he does fit in somewhere. This tale is enhanced by the beautiful illustrations. The animals and their surroundings are full of color, motion, and detail. These illustrations also do a fantastic job at displaying emotions such as caring, surprise, anger, joy, fear, curiosity, despair, and finally euphoria. This book will touch the heart of all who read it and will give great hope to any child who wonders about his place in this world.