The Ugly Duckling

by Michael Jaroszko

"Your voice reads this classic children's story!"--Front cover.

Genres: Childrens, Classics

20 pages, Hardcover

First published June 15, 2011

Reviews

[Chelsia · Rating 5 out of 5]

May be I started reading journey in my life with ugly duckling. As a kid I was always insecure about how I looked and how I was, ugly duckling helped me overcome it. This will always be my favorite childhood classic ❤️

[Vanessa Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful take on a classic story that can teach the children about bullying and that people are different. This is a great story for a kindergarten class because it teaches them about not judging people because they may look different and teach them that its ok to be different because that's what makes then unique. I feel like the story could be followed by a craft where all the children make their own ducklings and show how different they are.

[Antea · Rating 5 out of 5]

´´It is only with the heart that one can see clearly, for the most essential things are invisible to the eye.´´

This should be a part of everyone´s childhood.

[Lindsey Wilson]

Title: The Ugly Duckling
Author: Publications International Ltd.
*Plot: This book is about a little duckling that is like no other, he doesn't look like anyone has ever seen, he thought he was a duck and he got made fun of for being gray instead of yellow. The ugly duckling eventually found out he was a swan and not a duck at all.
*Characters: In this book, the main character is a little duck who actually turns out being a swan.
*Main Theme: The main theme is don't judge a book by its cover, just because someone doesn't look like you doesn't mean there's something wrong with them or that you have to exclude them.
*Author's Style: The authors' style is imagery for primary grades, but also by using sound words, such as"crackkk cracck" as the egg cracks.
*Point of View: The point of view is in second person because the narrator is telling others a story.
*Thoughts about design: I like the way this book is formatted, how there are pictures and sound words that are big and bold to help emphasize the sounds in the story.
*Future Lessons: This book could be used to teach kids how to play with others so nobody is left out.
PEL.5.K.3 Participate in cooperative play
PEL.5.1.1 Recognize acceptable behaviors while participating in physical activities
*Overall Thoughts: I have always loved this book because it proves it's ok to be different and people will accept you for it, but also to not judge a book by the cover.

[Asya Grove · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ugly ducking is a classic fairy tale. This piece of folklore was originally written by Han Christian Anderson. It is appropriate for elementary-aged children.

The story of the ugly duckling has become one of our collective conscious. The ducking, which is really a swan, is abused by his peers for being different and ugly. Eventually the ugly duckling is found to be a beautiful swan who merely didn't fit in with the ducks and the expectations of ducks as he was a swan.

The ugly ducking is a story who's message leaves me torn. On the one hand, the ugly duckling is a great encouragement for children who don't fit in. A story that gives them hope to hold on to and bullies hesitance to make one an outcast. Most of all, it gives hope that when you grow up, it will get better.
The piece that I do not like is that the "duckling" did nothing to change his fate. No action was taken. It just so happened that he was a swan, which is a situation of birth. Had the swam baby actually been an ugly duckling, nothing would have changed, and that is discouraging when given more thought.
Overall the book, I think, will give the right message to kids if appropriately guided. Yet, I am hesitant to recommend it strongly.

[Aria Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ugly Duckling is a classic retelling of folklore originally written by Han Christian Anderson. It is most appropriate for 5-11 age group.
As many know this famous story, we are aware that our little ugly duckling is actually just a swan who has yet to fit in with the ducks around him because of this. The story does well to help one understand the beauty in all things and to not judge a person by their outward appearance. They do so by having the other ducks picking on our little swan and soon coming to realize he wasn't just an ugly duck but yet a beautiful swan. The illustrator in this version of the book does a fantastic job at perfectly recreating the scene in a way that is fun for kids to look at and pull them into the book.
I would rate this book higher, but I don't like the fact that the little swan didn't purposely change his life in any way he just so happened to be a swan. He never changed his path on his own, though this might be me reading into the book a bit more seriously than it needed to be

[Jonah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was very good i like the way how its sad near the beginning but then later on the book becomes very happy and shows that just because people think your ugly then doesn't mean your will be later on in life. Another thing i liked about this book is that it shows you that every one has a place in the world and some people aren't born into those places and some people might need to search for it in order to find that place.

[Jess Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is such a classic. It teaches that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It also teaches readers that people can be mean in life. However, don't let that stop you from your goals and dreams. Just believe in yourself and you shine and prove them wrong one day. I love reading this story to my students in order to teach them this life lesson.

[Sydney M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ugly Ducking
This book is about a duck that was different from the others. He had to face harsh abuse from the other ducks. He eventually changed into a sawn and was better off. I recommend this book to anyone because it teaches them no matter where you are in life you can still change for the good.

[Casey Zarr · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is great for a young reader. This book teaches a valuable lesson of self image and loving yourself for who you are. The ugly duckling goes through some tough times as a young duckling. Throughout the winter the ugly duckling grows to be a beautiful swan.

[Karim Elmenshawy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story about how every one has a place in the world........

[Jaimie Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moral of the story is to not judge someone by their appearance. The story encourages readers to value someone on their inner beauty.

[Ranette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young bird thinks it is a duck and doesn't fit in with the other ducks. At it grows it becomes a swan.

[Sarah Whitley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book because I have heard a lot about it, however, I had never read it. Great story to encourage students.

[Kayla Hines · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tale about a swan who was born into a family of ducks. The swan was considered an outcast and ugly because he was different from the rest. Everyone was mean to the poor swan and shunned him. One day the swan realized that he was not a duck and he grew up to become a beautiful swan.

[Erika Arrieta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives everyone a beautiful message of self-love. The Ugly Duckling – he is the main character. He was born ugly and everybody was scared of him. He felt lonely because he had no friends and he felt scared, rejected, unloved and misunderstood. When he saw the swans he was amazed by their beauty but he did not envy them. He just wanted to be around somebody who understood him and when he turned into a swan he did not become a stuck up. He just became happy. Age appropriate- Kindergarten +

[Stephanie Messina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a duckling that hatches and looks nothing like any of the other ducklings and is considered “ugly”. He decides to leave and hide until spring. One day a swan comes by and asks why he’s hiding and if he wants to join them, he then sees his reflection in the water and realizes that he’s a swan and looks beautiful. He gets compliments on how he looks and then leaves with the other swans.

This book is an exceptional traditional picture book because it has an animal theme where the animals make up the story and can talk. It also follows a theme of overcoming an evil character and in this case the evil character was everyone that the duckling came in contact with. Once he developed into a beautiful swan they all wanted to be his friend and liked him. The color scheme was all pretty bright colors like light blue and yellow even when the duckling was sad. I really enjoy this book and would recommend it to everyone!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a classic story about a duckling who was hatched different than his brothers and sisters. He runs away from home because he does not feel happy being different. He travels through the land, and everyone seems to push him away. He thinks he will eventually find someone that will accept him. He realizes he is unhappy away from home to so he has to think of somewhere to go.

This book touches upon the social issue bullying. It also sends the message that you are really just like everyone else, and no one is really different. The duckling does get judged throughout the book but he eventually realizes that he is extremely loved. I think that this is a inspirational story for kids who may get bullied at school. Kids need to realize that there is always someone there for them, even if others can be cruel.

[Katiee Rideout]

The ugly duckling is a great traditional literature book. Everyone knows the story of the ugly duckling, and how the ugly duckling isn't actually ugly at all. Even though the duckling went through a lot with their family, they over come everything and it has a very happy ending.

The ugly duckling has a great message. I think that it has a few great messages actually. One being to not judge others by the way that they look. Just because someone does not look the same as you, or act the same as you does not mean that they are any less than you. And on the other hand it can encourage anyone who feels like they are different to embrace it. Just because you are different does not mean you are not special.

[Adrianna]

My first impression on the book when i was younger was how can one duck be ugly when i thought they all looked the same. What caught my eye was the baby ducks on the cover of the book. The book is a sad but LOVING book and will keep you reading more and more. There is a huge plot twist that is unexpected from one of the ducks. This book is a self traditional literature.

The artistic style of the book The Ugly Ducking was cartoon art and expressionism. The colors inside the book were gloomy but light at some points. The texture of the book was soft and the font was italic. The illustrations were interesting and looked real.

[Marissa]

1. This story has not won any awards.

2. This is appropriate for ages kindergarten through second grade.

3. The book is about a duckling who just doesn't look like his siblings. He gets picked on and called names but that doesn't stop him. The ugly duckling doesn't let others words get to him as he grows up and becomes better than ever.

4. I like the morals behind the story. This book is well written and creatively encorporates a deeper meaning.

5. In a classroom setting I would use this book to teach a moral about looks. How you should not judge a book by its cover.

[Keerthi Nambiar · Rating 4 out of 5]

good about it

[CaraCooCoo111]

This Is My Favorite Book! Keep Working The Hard Work!

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hermosa historia!!! Con una maravillosa moraleja

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the classic tale of a misfit duckling that does not quite find their place until the end of the story and then everyone else finally becomes accepting of them and their differences. This has become such a traditional tale because so many different people can relate, and they can relate at a young age. I think this story is good for nearly any age beginning with elementary school students because there are so many amazing and powerful lessons that you can teach alongside the story that has been so wonderfully written.

[Kimberly]

This book is super cute to read to your students because it teaches the lesson about bullying and friendships. Although this story starts out sadly, because the duckling doesn't look like the other ducks on the outside, the reader learns quickly that the duckling is actually beautiful on the inside.

[Sarah Keele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published 2011
Traditional Literature
I love this book because it sends a heart warming message regarding fitting in and standing out.
I would use it in my classroom to discuss acceptance.

[Danielle Perez]

1- awards- Caldecott Medal
2- grade range- kindergarten-second grade
3- summary- This book is about a stray duckling looking for a home. Some think hes ugly which makes him sad. But, by the end of the book he finds the family he was always meant to be with.
4- review- This book is what people mean by "classic". This book has always been an all time favorite throughout generations. It still is being read and loved today.
5- possible uses in class-
1) independent reading
2) read aloud/discussion
3) theme reading