The Ugly Duckling

The Ugly Duckling

Teased for being different, he was always meant to be a swan.

One egg in Mother Duck's nest is bigger than the rest. The duckling who hatches from it is big, gray and clumsy, and the farmyard animals never stop teasing him. So he sets off alone into the wide world.

Through marshes and meadows, past a crooked cottage, and into a long, cold winter, the little duckling keeps going. Then one spring morning he spreads his wings, flies to a lake of white swans, and sees his own reflection in the clear water.

This tender retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's best-loved fairy tale helps children understand that everyone grows in their own way and their own time, and that kindness matters most. It ends with the Moral of the Story and Think and Talk questions for reading at home or in class.

Details: Ages 7–10 (Grades 3–4) · 32 pages · Picture book, retold for young readers · Full-color illustrations on every spread · Moral and discussion questions · e-book PDF and EPUB