The Ugly Duckling

by Rachel Isadora

Set in the wilds of Africa, Caldecott Honor winner Rachel Isadora's stunning interpretation of the beloved Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale portrays African animals and landscapes with beautiful detail. As the ugly duckling searches for a place where he can fit in, Isadora's vibrant collages capture the beauty in everything from glistening feathers to shimmering sunsets.

Genres: Picture Books, Fairy Tales, Childrens, Animals, Africa, Folk Tales, Folklore

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 14, 2009

About the author

Rachel Isadora is an award-winning children's author and illustrator. She has written children's books on multiple topics including ballet, life in America and Africa, and has illustrated several Brother Grimm tales in an African setting. She is most well-known for her Caldecott Honor Award book "Ben's Trumpet". She was a ballet dancer before she became an illustrator and children's writer.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh the sadness of being so ugly no one wants to play with you…So the story of the Ugly Duckling goes in Isadora’s retelling of the Hans Christian Anderson classic. In vibrant Eric Carle-like collages, punctuated by colorful African textiles, our odd and clumsy friend is born into a brood of perfect siblings. His color is grey, his size is large, and his manners are clumsy, three characteristics that insure his fate as a ridiculed outcast. It is an old tale, and we know the story well. But we still find ourselves taken in by the striking images of our drab little friend as he makes his way through a world throbbing with color and life, in search of other ducklings like himself. The Ugly Duckling’s hardships are not his alone, for who in their life has not felt pretty enough, fast enough, smart enough? The personal transformation of The Ugly Duckling assures us all that beneath an odd surface can in fact be something quite beautiful.
Category: Lower grade. 2009.

[Alexa Maring · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic story that can be used in any classroom to teach about being kind to others as well as teaching students that there is always a place for everyone! I like this version because of the drawings. They are vibrant in color and you can easily see a difference in the ducklings and the "ugly" duckling. This story connects to people of all ages. We all experience a time where we do not feel good enough, whether because we don't feel we look good enough or someone has told us we are not good enough. Feeling inadequate is an emotion we will all feel. But as the "ugly" duckling learned, there is always a place where you feel welcomed and beautiful!

[Jasmine Burk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read. I had read this book as a kid, but forgot how it ended, so I was glad that I got the opportunity to read it again. This book was about a duckling who was different and didn't fit in anywhere it went, but was taken in by a family and there it grew, until the duck went out and found out he was a beautiful swan. This book is illustrated so creatively, and I like that you can tell that parts are actually painted, so it throws a creative twist to it. I would use this in the classroom because it teaches students to not judge a book by their cover, and that everyone can have a place. This should definitely be in everyone's classroom.

[Angela Ahrendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ugly Duckling by Rachel Isadora is an interpretation of the traditional folktale that is set in the African wild, which makes for exciting and colorful illustrations. In the book, there is one duckling that looks different from his siblings, and encounters many struggles because of it, in the end though, he becomes even more beautiful than he can imagine! This book is a great traditional literature text that can be used in younger grades, based on the simplicity of subject matter and elementary appeal of the illustrations. It can be used while discussing folktales or traditional fairy tales, or can be used in a discussion about teasing.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed this book and thought my 4 year old would too, I'm not sure he was ready for it. About 6 pages in he said, "Mom, this book is sad." I think he will understand it better a few years from now.

[Molly Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a retelling of the original story. It tells the story of a young duckling, who is considered to be the ugliest of all. The ugly duckling lives its life believing it is ugly, until one day. He spent the winter living with a family and when they put him back in the pond, he realizes he is the most beautiful swan.

I liked this version of the book for one particular reason. The author, who also illustrated the book, sets the story in Africa. Rachel Isadora does a beautiful job creating the pictures. The colors stand off the page and the African animals stand out in the background. It is beautiful scenery for a well known story.

This book would be great to use in k-1st classrooms. This story can help teach students about acceptance. It can help teach students that being different is okay, and that not everyone looks alike. It could also be used in a unit about Africa. The pictures do a wonderful job representing the African landscape and the humans in the book are a great representation of African culture with how they dress.

[Anjanabiswa]

Rachel Isadora
Summary: The ugly duckling doesn't look like anything like his brothers and sister. Even his own mother isn't sure what to make of him. So he sets off to find a place where he fits in - but he'll face many obstacles before he's able to see himself for who he really is.
Evaluation of Illustrations/Text: The illustrations are in color pencil drawing of bright, vivid color. The text is in bold text. The text has a sentence or few per page.
Strategies for Use in the Classroom:
Make predictions - The students can make their own thought upon why the ugly ducking is different from the others.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this retelling of the folktale takes me back to childhood. I remember wanting the ugly duckling to be happy and loved. As I read it now, I realize there is something quite sad about the story. Like Rudolph, who was different, the duckling is shunned over and over again. But a family does take the little duckling on and cares for it. I sort of wish that's where the story ended. Instead, we are given the message that beauty is what makes you loveable to all.

The illustrations are beautiful, bright, and fun to look at.

[Ethel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Retold and Illustrated by Rachel Isadora, this version of The Ugly Duckling includes beautiful illustrations that are perfect to engage younger students. There are a few differences between this version and the original tale. Reading both versions in class would be perfect for a compare and contrast lesson with 1st-3rd graders.

[Ashley Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great classic story set in Africa. This is an award winning story about a set little duck that searches for a place to be beautiful. This is a great book for young readers and older ones as it gives hope and something to connect to.

[Savannah Domeyer]

This story is retold by Lilian Moore about a duckling who was born very ugly. He went all over the place but was still being made fun of because he was ugly. After winter was over, he found his home again but came back a beautiful swan and he was the prettiest of them all.

[Karim Elmenshawy · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's self-acceptance, there's family acceptance, and there's social acceptance.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story beautiful illustrations

[Elizabeth Berndt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good class to teach children they are beautiful no matter what. I love the unique illustrations in this book.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic story with great vibrant art. I like that the setting is in Africa which is a bit of a nice change.

[Amanda Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in a side by side comparison of examples of the Ugly Duckling to the whole school.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published in 2009.

This cute book revisits an old story. I would like to compare and contrast different telling of the ugly duckling in my classroom.

[Samantha Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

This version of the Ugly Duckling has such vivid and beautiful illustrations!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only recently learned that the ugly duckling was actually not a duckling, so I have been enjoying these stories in a new light. Loved the illustrations!

[Stephanie Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic ugly duckling story. The artwork made with painted paper is lovely and very well done!

[(M)Sharahyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic story with extra beautiful illustration.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book to my class today. It was perfect timing considering we had just come in from the playground and one of my children was being teased for having hat hair.

A mother duck hatches six yellow ducklings. She waits for her last egg (it is much larger than the others) and out pops a gray "duckling". She is surprised but claims him as her own. However, none of the other ducklings or animals will play with or talk to the ugly duckling. He leaves home and finds no solace until at last a farmer takes pity on him in the dead of winter. His children help care for the ugly duckling until spring when he is grown. He sees himself and can't believe it! He is no longer ugly and has found what he has been looking for all along.

[Carly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rachel Isadora's retelling of "The Ugly Duckling" stays true to the original tale of an ugly duckling who doesn't quite seem to fit in. Nobody accepts the duckling because he looks so much different from all of the other ducklings, and everyone who encounters him thinks he is ugly. One day he sees these beautiful birds on the pond and admires them wishing he could be as beautiful as they are. After roaming around and not fitting in anywhere, a family takes in the duckling during the cold winter. When the duckling emerges in the spring he sees his reflection in the pond and realizes that he isn't an ugly duckling after all, but that he is a beautiful swan like the birds he saw on the pond before.

The Ugly Duckling is always a good story when teaching young children about bullying and how it's important to be kind to others. While Rachel Isadora's retelling of the story is quite effective, I feel that the illustrations are much too busy and take away from the story. The texture of the pictures is almost overpowering, and I found myself not even listening to the message of the story so much as looking at the pictures. While pictures can be a powerful and important part of any children's picture book, I feel that in this case they were just too overbearing and I felt it took away from the experience of reading the book. Some readers may love the illustrations and appreciate the business, however, I didn't really care for them.

[Alex Hobart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Level: 3.3
Summary - This is the traditional story of the ugly duckling that is searching for a place to fit in. He feels that he does not fit with his brothers and sisters so he leaves and tries to find other animals to be part of until he sees his own beauty and accepts himself does he feel comfortable.
Characteristics that Support the Genre - The Ugly Duckling has been retold many times and there are many variations of this story. The pictures are also very narrative of the story and a great addition to the story.
Organization- the ducklings journey is the focus of this whole story, form the begging (his frist time in the word) to his realization that he is who he was supposed to be all along
Voice - evident in the words used and the feeling the reader gets when the duckling is describing his reaction to how he is treated and how he feels about not fitting in.
Classroom Integration - I would use this book to integrate into the classroom acceptance of one and other and how to recognize when someone isn't feeling accepted. It is important that we feel comfortable in our own skin but also that we are aware of others that are not comfortable.

[Meltha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit this is a rather odd rendition of the story, and in places it doesn't quite make sense. For example, the setting is changed to somewhere in Africa, which is perfectly fine, but the "farmyard" has a giraffe, a snake, a monkey, and a wild boar. Also, the duckling is still caught out in the winter here, and is given shelter by a kind man and his two children during a snowstorm... in sub-Saharan Africa? That doesn't seem terribly likely. At the end, the duckling still turns into a swan, but of course these are black swans, which again, is fine, and makes a good deal more sense than the ice storm in the middle of the jungle. The shooting of the geese still happens, but the two who speak to the duckling are not the ones who are killed. The mother also doesn't disown him. Again, the basic plot is here, but it feels more like if Isadora wanted to change the location, some of the details should have followed suit.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Age: Preschool-2nd grade

Isadora provides an accurate retelling of The Ugly Duckling, complete with the instances of death (birds being shot down), bullying, and the inclusion of specific settings including the meeting with the cat and hen. However, the tale is "softened" by excluding the family alienating the ugly duckling. Although not part of the original tale, I like how the farmer's family took the Ugly Duckling in during the winter months so that when springtime came and the duckling was too big, the farmer released him, allowing the duckling to see himself grown for the first time in the reflection of the lake.

The difference of the ugly duckling is told through his color (gray), his large size, and his clumsiness.

The artwork is always a plus when reading Isadora, and this tale is no different. She uses color, white space, and texture to a tee.

[Shakita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was well written. I personally loved the illustrations. This book shows us how one duckling feels when he is different from others. He longs to be beautiful and everyone else doesn't see any beauty in him. At the end of the story, the duckling's wish comes true and he sees that he is very beautiful. People admire him and he is finally happy. Some students may feel like a ugly duckling at times & I do not mean just appearance. Students feel different all the time and I think it's okay to be different, that is what makes every student special. Sometimes, students do not see the potential in their selves and we have to be the ones to show nurture them and show them what they are capable of.

[Lenae Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about a duckling that didn't look like rest of his brothers or sisters. He realized he didn't fit in and even his mother didn't approve of his appearance. He flew away on a journey to find some where that he might be accepted and looked like everyone else.

I thought this book had a cute story. I really liked the illustrations! They were super cute and colorful. It think the pictures would help keep the attention of the children.

This book could be used to teach to not judge others based on their appearance. You can be someone's friend regardless of what they look like. I think this is a good lesson for all kids to learn. It seems like a simple lesson to teach kids but it is one that all kids need to be reminded of.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theme: treating others with kindness/ bullying

Beautiful illustrations retelling the Hans Christian Anderson classic set in Africa.
Read this with my will-be 1st grade son, it was his first time hearing this tale. He was filled with a feeling of injustice for the duckling. He continued to wonder why everyone treated the duckling so mean with their words. It led to a great discussion of the power of our words and how our words shape the way people few about themselves. I will definitely add this to my beginning of the school year books – specifically when we are talking about bullying and bullying behaviors.

[Mandy Scheuren]

Rachel Isadora lived in Africa over a ten-year period, inspiring her to create fairy tales in an African setting. This story takes set in the wilds of Africa. Isadora’s tale remains mostly to the original story line, but the collages create a depth and texture, evoking the essence of an African savanna. The "large and clumsy" duckling, black and gray to the other ducklings' bright yellow, is ostracized by the other animals on the farm. But when a "kind farmer" takes him in, he lives with the farmer's family over the winter. In the spring, he emerges as a lovely swan with inky, blue feathers.