The Ugly Duckling

by Hans Christian Andersen, Robert Ingpen (Illustrator), Anthea Bell (Translator)

Overview

Born different, the ugly duckling is mocked by his siblings, rejected by other ducks, and even shunned by his own mother. The sad little bird leaves home, starting a journey where he is jeered at and hunted as he struggles to survive on his own–only to discover that the identity he longed for was within him all along.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789888341191
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	09/01/2016
Series:	minedition Classic
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	7.70(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Hans Christian Andersen was born in Denmark. His fairytales have become loved around the world, including The Little Match Girl and The Little Mermaid.

Robert Ingpen is a writer and illustrator. In 1986 he was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal.

Anthea Bell is an award-winning translator who has translated many of Hans Christian Andersen’s stories. 

Date of Birth:

April 2, 1805

Date of Death:

August 4, 1875

Place of Birth:

Odense, Denmark

Place of Death:

Copenhagen, Denmark

Editorial Reviews

An unusually beautiful version of an old favorite.

An unusually beautiful version of an old favorite.
— Book

Hans Christian Andersen

A gentler, milder version of Andersen's classic tale of the misunderstood cygnet, inexplicably despised for his comparatively large size and definite lack of yellow but not for any real ugliness. Vainio reveals through delicate watercolors the whitish-gray fluff of a charming, tender baby desperately alone in a soft, beautiful world. Though the illustrations are lovely, they lack power. In every situation where the innocent swan is abused and finds no respite from hatred, the art handles this horror too gently. His reactions to rejection and verbal abuse are revealed in the illustrations, with a slight incline of his head showing his dejection. He is also unnaturally slow in growing, remaining a fuzzy baby over the course of months and then suddenly growing to adulthood in a page turn-a problem inherent in most illustrated versions of the tale. The unnamed translator has edited out the most violent verbal and physical abuse found in the original, making a place for it in collections for younger picture-book readers yet losing the story's raw spark. (Picture book/fairy tale. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews