I had mixed feelings about the story The Ugly Duckling adapted by Patricia Jensen. I liked that the character the Ugly Duckling was very well developed. Even though the story is not that long the reader gets to feel like they really know the duck and how the duck is feeling. For example, the duck knew others were not very welcoming. This was seen when the duckling said, "I'm resting, but I'll understand if you want me to move along." This line lets the reader know that duckling has not felt welcome anywhere before. The pictures also give the reader an idea of how the duck feels. At the end of the story when duckling is looking at his reflection, the reader can see by the drawings how proud he is to be himself and to be a beautiful swan. One reason I did not enjoy this book very much was because the plot seemed confusing at points. The author had the swan meet both rabbits and alligators. One rabbit invited duckling to dinner, but the others told him he had to leave. The alligators invited him to dinner as well but tried to eat him. I was confused why the author choose these two other animals to be included in the book, as they are not animals I would think of interacting with a swan. Overall, this story shared a great lesson with the reader and taught the reader to be proud of who they are. Also, that they need to be accepting of their own differences as well as others differences. ( )

For two hundred years, Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling has been a childhood favorite all over the world. Now Robert Ingpen brings his spectacular adaptation to new generations of readers.
Born bigger and different than the other hatchlings, the ugly duckling is ridiculed by his brothers and sisters, rejected by the other ducks, and eventually shunned by his own mother. The little bird leaves his home, embarking on a brave journey through hecklers, hunters, and cruel seasons-only to discover that the beauty he was seeking was inside him all along.
A beautifully told and brilliantly illustrated edition of this classic, essential story every child should embrace -- GoodReads