The Ugly Duckling

by Lorinda Bryan Cauley, Lorinda Bryan Cauley (Illustrator)

Overview

Large, full-color, richly detailed illustrations characterize this retelling of the famous Hans Christian Andersen tale.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780156925280
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/28/1979
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.12(d)
Lexile:	AD520L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Lorinda Bryan Cauley's other books include Clap Your Hands and Double Trouble Groundhog Day. She lives in New York City and the Hamptons.

Lorinda Bryan Cauley's other books include Clap Your Hands and Double Trouble Groundhog Day. She lives in New York City and the Hamptons.

Editorial Reviews

An unusually beautiful version of an old favorite.

Crossley-Holland (Storm) and So (The 20th Century Children's Poetry Treasury) bring out all the luster of Andersen's classic tale in this beguiling book. The familiar sequence of events unfolds in a courtly retelling shot through with flashes of humor ("That's a turkey's egg," says a duck elder authoritatively before the "duckling" hatches; "Waddle properly keep your legs well apart, like I do," the mother duck urges her strange child). Crossley-Holland's prose is as elegant as it is lyrical ("Sunlight settled on the shoulders of the ancient castle"; "A great skein of wild geese started up"; "Clouds sagged with snow and hail"). So's dexterous, impressionistic watercolors soar between blocks of text on the spreads for a highly dynamic presentation. The images are by turn droll, dreamlike and bittersweet, ranging from a dog splashing wildly through the marsh and the busy congress of a barnyard to the supple arch of a bird's neck against a winter sky. The equal of the striking prose, So's graceful brush strokes and expressive use of line issue an irresistible invitation to readers. Ages 5-8. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

K-Gr 4
This beautifully illustrated retelling of Andersen's classic tale has some minor changes in the text but overall maintains the integrity of the original; in fact, the retelling really seems unnecessary especially since there are no source notes and there are already many good translations of this story available. It is the mixed-media illustrations that will likely intrigue readers; the art combines painting with lace to achieve a textural and patterned appearance. A stunning spread shows a close-up of a goose with wings stretched wide that impressively depict distinct and realistic-looking feathers as it flies over a serene country landscape. Each page is suffused with color, predominantly bright shades of green, blue, and brown, and the bold font stands out clearly from the background. Small images are interspersed with the text-eggs cracking open, a dog rushing into the marsh, and a raven perched on a fence post. There are many other lovely visual interpretations available, including those by Jerry Pinkney (Morrow, 1999) and Robert Ingpen (Minedition, 2005).
—Kirsten CutlerCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

An unusually beautiful version of an old favorite.
— Book

Hans Christian Andersen

Outstanding illustrations and some new characters make Pinkney's retelling of a familiar tale memorable. This time around, there's an old woman who befriends the duck for its egg-laying potential, a hunting dog that happens upon the duck, a man who pulls the duck out of a frozen river and provides warmth and shelter, and children who comment on the once-ugly duckling's arrival at a pond, saying it is the finest of the flock. As in the original, suffering and loneliness are appeased, and the enduring lessons are reaffirmed: suffering may be necessary for growth and happiness, and loneliness may be overcome. A spirited, artistic adaptation, and a welcome addition to the shelves. (Picture book/folklore. 3-9) .

Kirkus Reviews