The Ugly Duckling, adapted and Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

The Ugly Duckling, adapted and Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

(Picture Book/folklore; ages 3-9)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Pickney J., 1999, The Ugly Duckling, Morrow Junior Books/Harper Collins, New York, ISBN# 0688159338

PLOT SUMMARY
This retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s, The Ugly Duckling stays true to the classic tale with the introduction of several new settings and characters.

Mother duck is sitting on hers eggs waiting for them to hatch; One of the six eggs is larger and different in color.  When the other five ducklings hatch, mother duck continues to sit and wait until out hatches the sixth duckling who is large, gangly, gray and very different from his siblings and the other ducks.  The ugly duckling is teased and treated poorly because his physical appearance is different from the others.  The ugly duckling he can’t take it any longer and he sets out to find a place which is peaceful and free from ridicule.  Pinkney introduces an encounter with hunters and a hunting dog which passes on eating the ugly duckling possibly because he is too ugly.  Pickney also introduces an old woman, her hen and her cat which take in the ugly duckling for a short time. After three weeks without producing a single egg, the ugly duckling feels inadequate and restless and leaves his friends for the pond.  It is here that the ugly duckling barely survives the harsh winter before being found by a father and his children. The family rescues the duckling and gives him warm shelter and food.  Again, not knowing how and be something other than a duck, and afraid to play with the children, the duckling flies out the door and finds himself once again cold and lonely for the remainder of winter.

As spring breaks, swans, who the ugly duckling admired as they flew overhead in early fall, return to the pond. The ugly duckling quickly makes friends with the swans and is finally leading a peaceful life. After a year of maturing and growing, the duckling realizes through his reflection in the pond, that he is no longer an ugly duckling but has become a beautiful and graceful swan.  He has found acceptance and his personal identity.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The Ugly Duckling is a classic story that has stood the test of time and is retold using simplified text.   Pickney’s shorten verbiage, additional settings and exquisite illustrations breathe new life into this classic tale through wonderful detail and emotion.  Pinkney’s brushstrokes and cool color palette portray movement and nature beautifully, intriguing the reader from one page to the next.

The Ugly Duckling’s burdensome theme regarding loneliness and suffering has a triumphant ending through a journey of endurance and conquest.  While the serious plot may be intense for some readers, the story’s soft, subtle illustrations take a jarring message and temper the seriousness of this classic tale.         

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Publisher’s Weekly- “Pinkney's watercolors are wonderful. From the mother duck's surprise at the large egg that takes so long to hatch, to the poor ducklings struggles to survive during the harsh winter to the warmth and beauty of spring and his reunion with those who welcome him as one of their own. The sunlight on the water and around the beautiful swan is a reflection of the golden glow of inner joy.  A truly lovely adaptation of this classic story.” 1999

Kirkus’ Review-  “Outstanding illustrations and some new characters make Pinkney’s retelling of a familiar tale memorable.” PLB 0-688-15933-8, 1999

AWARDS: 

Best Books:
The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2000 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Capitol Choices, 1999 ; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001 ; H.W. Wilson; United States
The Children's Literature Choice List, 2000 ; Children's Literature; United States
Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 1999 ; American Library Association-Booklist; United States
Notable Books for Children, 2000 ; American Library Association-ALSC; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, February 1999 ; Cahners; United States
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, May 1999 ; Cahners; United States
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
Randolph Caldecott Medal Honor Book 2000 United States
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
2X2 Reading List, 2000 ; Texas

CONNECTIONS

The Ugly Duckling is a great book to introduce and discuss personal differences.  It is a great story to explore how being physically different can feel.  Here are some integrated ideas to utilize with children/students:

Language Arts

• Compare and contrast different retelling of The Ugly Duckling.  Explore the aspects of storytelling and the importance of writing and illustrations to how a story if received by the reader. 
• Have student’s rewrite a portion or the ending of the story.

Social Studies/Science

• Tie the struggles of The Ugly Duckling to migration and hibernation of animals.  Explore with students the struggles animals face during cold harsh winters.  Explore animal’s survival mechanisms.  

 Art

• Use Pinkney’s watercolor illustrations to introduce the watercolor technique.  Have students paint a watercolor illustration of one scene from their story.

Technology

• Show a video about Jerry Pinkney’s writing and illustration techniques.
• Use Corel Painter XII as a technique for generating watercolor imagery.

Other recommended books:

§  The Ugly Duckling illustrated by Henri Galeron

§  The Ugly Duckling adapted by Rachel Isadora

§  The Ugly Duckling; The Graphic Novel by Martin Powell

§  The Ugly Duckling adapted by Stephen Mitchell

§  Aesop's Fables  by Jerry Pinkney, ISBN 978-1-58717-000-3

§  The Nightingale by Jerry Pinkney, ISBN 9780803724648