Make Way for Ducklings (Viking Kestrel Picture Books)

Amazon.com

It's not easy for duck parents to find a safe place to bring up their ducklings, but during a rest stop in Boston's Public Garden, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard think they just might have found the perfect spot--no foxes or turtles in sight, plenty of peanuts from pleasant passers-by, and the benevolent instincts of a kindly police officer to boot. Young readers will love the mother duck's proud, loving protection of her wee webbed ones, and those with fond memories of Boston will enjoy familiar locales, from Beacon Hill to Louisburg Square, and over the Charles River--often from a duck's-eye view. Robert McCloskey, creator of Blueberries for Sal, never fails to elicit happy story-time giggles from youngsters, and his soft, brown-toned, Caldecott-winning illustrations make this gentle world come alive. (Ages 3 to 8) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

This classic tale of the famous Mallard ducks of Boston is available for the first time in a full-sized paperback edition. Awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1941, Make Way for Ducklings has been described as "one of the merriest picture books ever" (The New York Times). Ideal for reading aloud, this book deserves a place of honor on every child's bookshelf. "Robert McCloskey's unusual and stunning pictures [have] long been a delight for their fun as well as their spirit of place." — The Horn Book

Customer Reviews:

A love letter to Boston.......2007-08-07

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard explore all the nooks and crannies of Boston and the Back Bay, before settling on the perfect place to raise their family. A true love letter to the Boston of 60 years ago (complete with Irish cops!), it is a classic that speaks to people from everywhere, and families worldwide, on the love and nurturing that parents show for their children.

A classic for a reason.......2007-06-25

This book was read to me, and I read it endlessly to my little sister and my daughter. Now I am reading it to my great-nephew, age three and a half, who fell instantly in love with it. He always lets out a little "whew!" of relief when Mrs Mallard and the ducklings make it through the gates of the Public Gardens. After about the fourth reading (there were two on that particular day) we went to a little park nearby where he insisted on playing out the story with me, complete with Mr and Mrs Mallard's dialogue. It is a ritual now.

This is an astonishingly involving book for small children. There is a practical but manageable level of threat (of traffic, which is very real and genuinely important for three and four year olds) with the assurance of adult help when it is needed, and the constant reassurance that they are being looked after. And adults can read it forever without getting bored!

Great value.......2007-02-15

This is the turtle back book. It is glued and stitched. It should hold up. If this book is going to get alot of use spend the few dollars more and get the turtle back.

Make Way for Ducklings.......2007-02-13

I grew up reading this book and when I became a teacher it was one of the first in my classroom. A classic. A must read for all young readers! Great drawings too!

Make Way for Ducklings.......2007-01-18

This is a great story for children. We bought the book for our daughter to use in the Speech and Hearing Clinic at OSU, and for her work with children at the public library story hour during the summer.

Jemima J: A Novel About Ugly Ducklings and Swans

Average customer rating:

I Just Don't Know....
Amazing and inspirational
Dreadful
Loved It!
I'm glad I only paid $3.00 for this book.

Jemima J: A Novel About Ugly Ducklings and Swans
Jane Green
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

Conair Pro Color Accents Temporary Hair Color Kit
Conair MDF2R Facial Sauna With Timer

ASIN: 0767905180
Release Date: 2001-06-05

Book Description

Jemima Jones is overweight. About one hundred pounds overweight. Treated like a maid by her thin and social-climbing roommates, and lorded over by the beautiful Geraldine (less talented but better paid) at the Kilburn Herald, Jemima finds that her only consolation is food. Add to this her passion for her charming, sexy, and unobtainable colleague Ben, and Jemima knows her life is in need of a serious change. When she meets Brad, an eligible California hunk, over the Internet, she has the perfect opportunity to reinvent herself–as JJ, the slim, beautiful, gym-obsessed glamour girl. But when her long-distance Romeo demands that they meet, she must conquer her food addiction to become the bone-thin model of her e-mails–no small feat.
With a fast-paced plot that never quits and a surprise ending no reader will see coming, Jemima J is the chronicle of one woman's quest to become the woman she's always wanted to be, learning along the way a host of lessons about attraction, addiction, the meaning of true love, and, ultimately, who she really is.

Customer Reviews:

I Just Don't Know...........2007-10-04

I'm still reading this book. And I'm actually still at the beginning. But, my question is why does the character have to be sooooo obsessively self-deprecating. While people in general can sometimes question their own self-image, this character's battle wasn't fought with empathy, rather some presumption that all fat people battle with their irrational cravings and a bad image. Is that the case? If so, retort this whole review, but I do know that some of the friends I have who are overwieght don't hate themselves as much as this character seems to. Nor do they chow down on bacon sandwiches because the grease and smell are as inviting as a coveted bedfellow. I will finish this book, but I don't know whether the message is "Get over it Jemima and love yourself as you are" or if it's "You go Jemima, lose weight, because you can then accomplish bigger and better things!" Ohhhhh, and what the heck is her name about! Even the name itself conjures images of sugary syrup and fat laden bacon. Though, I'm sure the author is well-meaning, well-intentioned, much of it comes off as a gross stereotype of the given characters.

Amazing and inspirational.......2007-08-09

I read Jemima J when my friend gave me a copy. I had recently been on a health kick and lost a lot of weight and I related. I understood Jemima. I was Jemima. How she had no self-esteem, felt lonely and repressed and her obsession with America and shallow beauty.

The message in this book is not "if you want your man, lose weight" - it's embrace who you are. She had the fling with the gorgeous californian and the dream turned sour. That all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood was not what was going to make her happy. Ben liked Jemima for who she was and not what she looked like.

I just re-read it seven years later and once again - it's inspired me. You can call it shallow fluff or drivel but I think it's a tale of love and how if you really, really want something you can have it.

"Jemima J" is a masterpiece and Jane Green is a genius. The book spoke to me and it's my favourite of all time. I've also read other books my this author but this is the best.

Dreadful.......2007-08-09

I read this book after it was recommended to me by a woman I work with, and it was awful. Predictable, unimaginative and uninspired. In a word it's Chick-Lit. Fat girl is in love with a handsome man who doesn't see her, she loses weight and to everyone's astonishment she is strikingly beautiful as a thin person! This story line has a lot in common with many bad movies.

Loved It!.......2007-07-11

I don't care if she was fat or skinny. I liked the book and thought it was a very cute story. I liked how they showed her point of view as first a fat girl and then as a skinny one. It was very funny.

I'm glad I only paid $3.00 for this book........2007-06-26

I was excited about the premise of this book, being a large girl myself, but as I read I become more and more frustrated with where things are going. Why do women have to be thin, blonde and beautiful to get anywhere in this world, with men, work or otherwise? I think it sets a terrible example and Jemima doesn't seem to be trying to lose weight in a healthy way. Jemima went from one extreme (food addiction) to another (exercise addiction). You don't just suddenly stop being addicted to food - like any other addiction, it's a hard habit to break, there is no way she just suddenly stopped eating (almost altogether!). I guess I'm taking most of this stuff too literally, it is only a book, after all. I guess I feel let down that even a woman writer can't make her heroin more of a real person than a cartoon character of what society thinks a women should be. I'm more than halfway through the book, but I'm not sure I'm going to finish it.

Average customer rating:

Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings
wonderful, wonderful book!
Cute book, not recommended
Very Versatile Book
An interactive smorgasbord for babies and young toddlers!

Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings
Matthew Van Fleet
Manufacturer: Dial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0803717598

Amazon.com

Move over, Pat the Bunny! Patting the ducklings is only one of the highlights of Matthew Van Fleet's engaging, interactive fold-out book for very young children. Every page contains an animal surprise, from the fuzzy yellow ducklings to bumpy brown frogs, fuzzy gray koalas, and more. Children will enjoy touching the different textures and identifying shapes of the seven creatures that populate the book, but it's only when the fold-up page is fully extended that all is revealed--it's not a pink line at all, but a frog tongue! At the close of the book, the animals come together in a wild revelry of shape and color. Every small child needs a beginning book like this, one where they can guess and guess again, delighting in the all the tactile wonders as well as increasing their skills in shape and color recognition. And, if this one is already on the shelf, Van Fleet's One Yellow Lion and Spotted Yellow Frogs are fun, too. (Baby to preschool)

Book Description

This charming introduction to colors, shapes, and animals has been delighting children all over the world for ten years! There is a surprise on every peek-a-boo page, where textured shapes magically turn into colorful creatures perfect for toddler's touching.

Customer Reviews:

Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings.......2006-08-12

I bought Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings for my granddaughter, because she dearly loves Matthew Van Fleet's book, Tails. However, I soon discovered that Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings doesn't have all of the interesting details or interactive play elements that are included in Tales.

wonderful, wonderful book!.......2006-02-04

This book is lovely! So fun for both adults and kids! It is definately worth the price, will be a treasured part of your family library, read and re-read zillions of times.

All of Matthew Van Fleet's books are great. ("Tails" is my favorite.) His books are warm, creative, engaging, and beautifully illustrated-- 100% guaranteed to help your kids fall in love with reading.

I bought my own copy years ago, just bought another for a friend's baby shower. I looked over it and think it is great quality-- I'm not sure what the one negative comment below is about. (Perhaps that reviewer did not supervise her child appropriately in the bookstore, or her child is used to reading board books only? I think just about anyone with a toddler would be very hesitant to allow him or her to play with unpurchased books-- with sticky fingers and developing motor skills that sounds like an accident waiting to happen, especially with an interactive book like this one.) This book is sturdier than most normal children's books. With appropriate adult supervision it should last a long time!

Cute book, not recommended.......2004-08-08

Recently I was with my family in a bookstore and, while browsing, selected this book for my 18 month old daughter to look at. Within two minutes (this is not an exaggeration) she had so wrinkled pages and had torn one page that I was forced to purchase the book--this I did because of personal ethics, but I was most unhappy to spend a whopping $13.00 (not including tax) on a book that could not hold up to even three minutes of toddler handling. My daughter is young, but reads all kinds of books (board and paper pages) and treats them well. This book is easily damaged simply because it is not constructed well, or at least not designed for little hands. The flaps must be turned very carefully, even by me. And that is how the book was ripped there in the bookstore--my daughter was simply trying to turn the page, holding the flap where it is logical and most natural to do so, and the flap could not withstand it. Since bringing the book home we have read it together once (trying to get my money's worth) and already I see that there is another flap that will tear similarly--as soon as someone uses just the wrong angle to the flap when attempting to turn it.

I contacted the author of the book with my complaint and he was very understanding, explaining that the publisher has been cheapening the book by using thinner paper and he knew exactly which two pages were too easily ripped. I know that he is not at fault, and it is a cute book (the sticky frog tongues is a clever addition to the usual textures), but it is not manufactured appropriately for the age group to which it is geared.

So, sadly, I cannot recommend the book at all. There are a lot of cute tactile books out there, and this one does not stand out enough to justify having a book that little ones cannot handle themselves.

Very Versatile Book.......2003-03-26

This book teaches so many different things. It has great textures, colors, shapes, and animals. My twin girls love it. They are 22 months now, but we bought this book when they were about 15 months. The best part for them is unfolding the pages! It seems like it wouldn't last, but ours hasn't ripped yet, and we have been pretty hard on it. It is bent up, but that's all. This is the only book that teaches so many different concepts at once. It can be confusing, but once they learn their shapes and colors, you can combine them for even more challenging fun!! I highly recommend this book for toddlers and preschoolers!!

An interactive smorgasbord for babies and young toddlers!.......2003-03-23

Matthew Van Fleet's, "Fuzzy Yellow Ducklings" is a twenty-page, touch-and-feel foldout book about shapes, colors, and animals. It measures approximately 7 ½" x 6 ¼" x 1", and is constructed of heavy cardboard with medium-weight cardstock for the pages and flaps. Fortunately, the pages are sealed on ALL three sides, prohibiting toddler renovations. Accentuated by glossy, white backgrounds the watercolor illustrations are expressive, colorful, and entertaining. The text is large, black, and very basic. It begins on the left side of the book, and consists of two-word phrases such as, "Fuzzy Yellow." On the right, is a "fuzzy" yellow CIRCLE, and the word "circle" is printed next to it. The reader lifts the flap, and sees six yellow ducklings incorporated into the texture. Printed to the side, is the word "ducklings."

The book continues in the same manner with a "Bumpy" Brown TRAINGLE turning into twelve grumpy toads, a "Furry" Gray SQUARE becomes four koala bears, a "Scaly" Green OVAL turns into five playful iguanas, a "Woolly" White RECTANGLE becomes seven bashful sheep, a "Scratchy" Blue CRESCENT turns into six mischievous Sharks, and a "Sticky" Pink LINE becomes eight tongue-tied frogs. In addition, the finale is wonderful. It is a four-page, foldout uniting all of the shapes, colors, and animals together in an amusing parade of color and pattern.

Book Description

As Duckling sets off to explore the world, Chick is close behind, mimicking each of his actions with a perky "Me too." But when Duckling decides to go for a swim, his friend is in for a surprise.

This charming tale, with brightly colored illustrations by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey, will delight small children who are also discovering the world around them.

Customer Reviews:

just started to read?.......2007-02-17

This is a great book for those k and 1st graders who have just begun down the reading path. After having read this book with my six year old at home, i decided to type it up in script form. This is about 1 page long when typed up. It has two reading parts. We enjoyed reading this like a play. She enjoyed it so much she brought it to school and this has kept her class busy during inside recess(feb.). They are making costumes, etc. all on their own. Who knew such a simple, simple book would bring so much joy and imagination to reading.

The Chick and the Duckling.......2007-02-12

Wonderful picture book for the children to use their imagination telling the story. We use this book at Preschool. We also act it out with puppets.

Scooty scoot scoot.......2004-07-27

It probably would have made more sense to name this book, "The Duckling and the Chick" rather than the other way around, but I guess there's no accounting for taste. In this world there are picture books written for every worry, hope, fear, and joy a child could conceive of. One of the more realistic dramas children face is the appearance of a new sibling. Now, there are some great picture books out there on the subject. There's "Ginger" by Charlotte Voake and "Julius, the Baby of the World" by Kevin Henkes, but long before either of these modern classics were written there was "The Chick and the Duckling". It's a kind of sibling-worship tale taken to its logical extreme and illustrated by the incredible Jose and Ariane Aruego.

One day a duckling hatches out of its shell with a triumphant, "I am out!". Immediately following out of its own shell is a small chick who is quick to add, "Me too". For every action the duckling takes, the chick is right behind to copy. If the duckling wishes to find a worm, the chick finds the same one. If the duckling wants to catch a butterfly, the chick catches one too. Finally the duckling announces its intention of going for a swim. Quicker than you can say, "Me too", the chick (having forgotten, I guess, that chicks are not waterfowl) sinks to the bottom of the pond. Patiently the duckling retrieves the sodden ball of yellow fuzz before announcing, "I'm going for another swim". "Not me", replies the wiser and now butterfly-distracted chick.

This book could probably be a good way of letting younger siblings know to give their older adored brothers and sisters a little breathing space now and again. After all, they don't want to end up like a half-drowned chicken, do they? What is interesting in this story is that the duckling at no point shows even the slightest annoyance with its close yellow shadow. The duck even goes so far as to rescue its oppressor, leading to a happy ending for one and all. If the book strikes a familiar cord with you, it may be because this pairing of Russian author V. Suteyev and the Aruego illustrators is not a new one. An equally interesting and delightful creation is their intriguing, "Mushroom in the Rain", which I highly recommend. Illustrator Jose Aruego also created the slightly better known, "Leo the Late Bloomer", a book which has been comforting the slow learners of the world for years and years. In this particular outing, the Aruegos have not imbued this book with as much color or originality as "Leo". Just the same, there is a great deal of life and humor to the pictures. From the bright and colorful pink, yellow, and orange flowers that cluster in the fields to the pink, purple, and orange butterflies that dot the skies, the book is awash in movement, energy, and color.

A classic to its bones, "The Chick and the Duckling" remains in the readers' mind long after the tale has ended. A delightful way to teach kids about space, siblings, and getting along with others. Fine frolicsome reading.

Great for Early Childhood students........1999-05-16

This book is great for showing how chicks and ducks are the same, and different, in an entertaining way. It is an emergent reader book, that uses repetition and predictability to help young readers along. My Kindergarten class really loves this book. I've seen it in Big Book format, but can't find it here. Oh, well! Buy this one if you don't have it.

A lesson to learn by imitating!.......1998-11-09

I really enjoyed reading this story to my students and working with activities that went along with the book. For example miming the action words in the book, drawing, and writing a book report. This is wonderful story about a chick and a duck who hatch at the same time and become friends. The chick imitates the duck until the duck goes for a swim. However, the chick attempts to swim, but can't and is rescued by the duck. The Chick realizes that it is ok not to do everything the duck does. The duck can go for a swim with out him. The moral of the story, sometimes it is perfectly ok to imitate, but at other times be yourself, do your own things and have your own ideas.

Average customer rating:

LOVE IT
Beauty isn't everything....but it helps!
Great
Ugly Duckling is a Gander of a Read.
I loved this book

The Ugly Duckling
Iris Johansen
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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The Face of Deception

ASIN: 0553569910
Release Date: 1996-12-01

Book Description

If fate suddenly made you more beautiful that you ever dreamed possible, would it be the beginning of a fairy tale, or your worst nightmare?

The brutal attack should have killed anybody, but Nell Calder did more than survive. She emerged a woman transformed, with an exquisite beauty found only in fairy tales. Nell Calder deserved a happy ending. Instead, her descent into terror has just begun.

Her attacker is still on the hunt, determined to finish what he's started. And Nell, protected by a new face, is just as determined to fight back and take her revenge. But to catch her prey, she will have to expose herself—even if it makes her a killer's prime target.

Customer Reviews:

LOVE IT.......2007-03-09

I LOVE IRIS JOHANSEN!!!! ALL OF THE BOOKS I HAVE READ OF HERS ARE GREAT!!!!! READ THEM, YOU WON'T BE DISAPOINTED!

Beauty isn't everything....but it helps!.......2006-10-03

Another great page-turner from Iris Johansen! Plain, timid, and overweight protagonist whips it into shape before setting off on her quest for revenge/closure. Thankfully, the improvement to her outward appearance (courtesy of kind and noble plastic surgeon) is eclipsed by the inner beauty/strength Nell finds. Interesting and suspenseful plot with a cast of heroic characters carrying their own dark secrets. You will cheer on the strong females and their cunning pals as they give the bad guys their comeuppance. Recommended.

Great.......2006-09-21

This book along with Face of Deception is what hooked me to her books. Most of them are wonderful but there are a couple that turn out predictable.

Ugly Duckling is a Gander of a Read........2006-07-09

This was my first Iris Johansen book, and I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed it. Fast paced after the first two chapters, intriguing and suspenseful, this is a book you will want to keep reading until you reach the very ending. What mother wouldn't come out of her shell after some "boogie man" has murdered her innocent 4 year-old daughter?

The only problem I had with this book is how a cosmetic surgeon's makeover on Nell gives her immediate confidence once the bandages come off, and a lot of her humility disappears. Often, especially with the "Helen of Troy" face she was given by the surgeon, a woman has more misery than blessings, and it's hard to believe she didn't need counseling with the brand new face.

Other than that, there was a slew of great characters, and I especially enjoyed the character Tonya who quickly became Nell's friend through her own losses. Check this book out if you like good storytelling, high suspense, and a decent romantic plot. It's not my favorite book, but it's good enough to recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good, involving suspense novel.

I loved this book.......2006-06-12

This is the first book by Iris Johansen I read and my goodness what a page turner. I just kept reading till I was finished into the wee hours of the morn.

I loved the characters of Nell and Nicholas and the other characters were also amazing.

I will most assuredly be buying another book by this author.

The Ugly Duckling (Caldecott Honor Book)

Average customer rating:

such a deep meaning between its light, childish writings...
Know who you are
The Kind of Hope We All Need to Remember
Honk!
The Ugly Duckling

The Ugly Duckling (Caldecott Honor Book)
Hans Christian Andersen , and Jerry Pinkney
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Rapunzel (Caldecott Medal Book)
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What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? (Caldecott Honor Book)

ASIN: 068815932X
Release Date: 1999-03-24

Amazon.com

Three-time Caldecott Honor artist and four-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, Jerry Pinkney doesn't disappoint with this lovely, old-fashioned, richly textured watercolor adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling. The mother duck knew from the very beginning that one of her babies would be different from the rest... the sixth egg was large and oddly shaped. When it finally hatches that summer, she thinks the "monstrous big duckling" must be a turkey chick! Other ducks are appalled by the ugly duckling, and he is chased, pecked, and kicked aside. When he can't stand it anymore, he runs away from the pond, eventually taking refuge in the warm cottage of an old woman with a cat and a hen. Missing the delicious feeling of the water too much to stay, however, he heads out again into the wide, increasingly cold autumn world.

One day, he heard a sound of whirring wings, and up in the air he saw a flock of birds flying high. They were as bright as the snow that had fallen during the night, and their long necks were stretched southward. Oh, if only he could go with them! But what sort of companion could he be to those beautiful beings?"

At last, after a hard, cold winter--and plenty of the kind of adventures no one really wants to have--the duckling sees the same flock of birds he'd seen in the sky so many months ago. He decides he will follow them, somewhat dramatically preferring to be killed by them rather than suffer any more "cold and hunger and cruelty." Much to his surprise, they welcome him! And when he looks for his dull, awkward reflection in the water, he sees a beautiful swan instead. Children who feel ostracized, even for the tiniest of differences, may shed a few sympathetic tears for the ugly duckling. And no doubt, it was Andersen's wish to give them the hope of one day finding their own peaceful place. (Ages 3 to 9) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

For over one hundred years The Ugly Duckling has been a childhood favorite, and Jerry Pinkney's spectacular new adaptation brings it triumphantly to new generations of readers. With keen emotion and fresh vision, the acclaimed artist captures the essence of the tale's timeless appeal: The journey of the awkward little bird -- marching bravely through hecklers, hunters, and cruel seasons -- is an unforgettable survival story; this blooming into a graceful swan is a reminder of the patience often necessary to discover true happiness. Splendid watercolors set in the lush countryside bring drama to life.

Customer Reviews:

such a deep meaning between its light, childish writings..........2007-09-11

(This review is about the story and not about the specific content of the book)

Luis Mejia (son) - As a fan of more classic readings, I personaly got to appreciate Hans Christen Andersen as one of my favourite writters, not only because his beautiful, gorgeous tales are brought up for a sleepy kid who likes to hear a story from his dad, as he finally gets asleep with a smile, its because among all of his works, some may be totally written for putting on paper a story full of fantastic moments but without an implicit meaning, but in its underlying words, it can teach a lot about values, just like The Little Mermaid tales a great value and a deep, underlying meaning of true love, making hard decissions toward the theme, the beauty of love an its unreachable boundaries, but, among all of Andersen's writtigs, The Ugly Duckling is one of his two that makes me cry. Its heartful, touchy story about a little duck, who, like every alive creature in the world, even a real duck, just want to be accepted as a normal duck who wants to learn about the experience of life, even when he doesn't knows that, unfortunately, this doesn't go that way, his brothers and other mates would constantly pick on him, bothering him, making the poor duck cry, even his mother felt embarassed about having such an ugly duck, what's the meaning in this part of the story? When you are an adult, or a mature adolescent one gets it quickly, even its meaning about rejecting/bullying others because of any condition (as this is not focused on beauty, is focused on any aspect that it could be found) can be seen in modern society, and, as it later reflects on the ongoing story, it can have very sad effects. The duck, all alone even at his early life, goes onto a journey of searching his place or at least some love, and he fails a couple of times, here the meaning is another very deep one, life is about risks and chances, and nothing is sure, anyone can make mistakes in any moment of his life, even when they are sadder. And when, finally, he discovers a place where he wished he could live, he felt deeply attracted by this place and its animals, and, when these attractive animals come closer, the little ugly duckling was already been hurted, so he was even more scared, as these animals he was seeing where something really special, to the point of even thinking "It doesn't matter now, I would prefer to dye here, beside this beautiful creatures, even if they kill me, or I dye in the cold, instead of all alone outside" (it really says this) this part really touches my heart. But instead of finding strong rejection, he founds comprehension and acceptance, he is even regarded as one of those beautiful animals which he dreamed about!

For children, there's no way to search for a meaning here, as it may stay as a simple, short story, attractive because of talking animals and light emotions, and a very good one for putting to sleep a children, but for adults, this story is much more than that, the story coul've been made up to even 500 pages, although here the parts are clear, main rejection, something general instead of specific, a search for a true home, a couple of places with searched with failure, and his final transformation. So, the values that this story teaches are amazing and pretty recognizables, values like those of patience, love, comprehension, although the story's main point is clear: even in our hardest situations in life, at any age, at any time, we should always be hopeful and faithful, we'll have to start our journey for finding our place, as the duck did, we shall never give up, don't be the duck that dies in the cold or loses every hope, we'll make a lot of mistakes, go through many situations that gets us down in the road, but without giving up, as the duck who finds two places where he didn't fit as well (as well as it could've been a thousand places), and, even if the road seems eternal and unreachable, even if we've been through a lot of sad stories, even if we're all alone within any situation, we'll find our true home, the true love, our deeply desired place, we'll finally discover ourselves, and have a happy ending, living happy forever.

Plus, the gorgeous illustrations and sensitive way of telling the story in the book, makes it a really fantastic, pretty edition.

Know who you are.......2007-02-09

This book was absolutely wonderful, especially the illustrations. My children loved it. It was not just about being ugly, it was about knowing who you are, your roots, etc - self awareness and self-confidence. The poor duckling "thought" that he was ugly because he didn't know who he really was [a swan]. ...Because he was different from everyone around him, he believed that he was what everyone said he was -- ugly and worthless. The others picked on him because he was different. Once he discovered the truth of who he really was is when he was set free from the bondage of all the untruth that he heard. He discovered who he really was and flourished.

The Kind of Hope We All Need to Remember.......2006-05-12

A beautiful picture book on the Hans Christian Anderson tale. The Ugly Duckling is one of the world's most passionate childrens' stories of becoming. A wonderful book to read to remind a child what's possible no matter what. It's always a good thing to know one really is a swan ...underneath it all.

Honk!.......2005-06-23

"The Ugly Duckling" is one of those rare examples of the triumph of image over story. Anyone who's ever read, heard, or seen performed this story knows that there are elements to it that can make you feel a hair uncomfortable. After all, the moral of the tale is that it doesn't matter how awful your life has been just so long as you're beautiful and look like all the pretty people in the end. Even if we dislike what "The Ugly Duckling" is trying to say, though, it's hard not to be compelled by its striking images. The cygnet amongst the ducklings. The resentment directed at him by both the animal kingdom and humankind. And then, the slow realization that he is in fact the most beautiful creature in the entire world. If this story were a Grimm Brothers tale it would probably end with the duckling rubbing his newfound good looks in his siblings' faces. Fortunately, we're in Hans Christian Andersen territory here, and (more specifically) Jerry Pinkney territory as well. Mr. Pinkney has taken Andersen's original wordy version and pared it down to the point where contemporary children will understand and identify with it better. He's even changed the moral of the tale oh-so-slightly so that it's less lotsa-pain-equals-more-physical-beauty and more hard-work-will-lead-to-happiness-in-the-end. I'm not personally buying it, but that's the fault of Andersen. Not Pinkney.

In case you are not familiar with the original Andersen version (and isn't it remarkable that there isn't a Disney version out there somewhere?) here's the lowdown. One day a mother duck finds that one of her eggs is different from the others. No explanation of this is ever given. Pity. When the eggs hatch the largest/different one takes a long time to crack open and when it does it exhibits a large ugly grey "duckling". Immediately, trouble starts. Other ducks bite the duckling's head and its brothers and sisters join in. It gets so depressed that when a dog passes it over as a meal it can only think, "I am too ugly even for a dog to eat". A woman, a cat, and a chicken all find the duckling to be utterly useless. It freezes in a pond and flees the nice man that frees it. Finally after multiple trials and countless tribulations the duckling turns into a swan, meets up with its brethren, and discovers the beauty of ... um... beauty.

No deep insights in this one. Now normally I don't much care for Jerry Pinkney's illustrations. I found his "John Henry" to be a bit slapdash and his "Noah's Ark" lacking. For some reason though, "The Ugly Duckling" works. When you consider that I don't usually like the story and I don't usually like the illustrator, the fact that I like the two when combined is just plum weird. It's not that the story has improved much. But under Pinkney's hand it becomes tolerable. Sure, it's still mighty depressing to see the poor little duckling bitten, screamed at, and teased. But when he's beautiful, there's no arguing with his looks.

In the end, I tip my hat to Pinkney's guts. Some people will pooh-pooh this review because they feel I'm criticizing the story and not the edition itself. Blarney. You can't separate this book from the tale on which it's based. I'm still not a fan of "The Ugly Duckling". I think it teaches the wrong lessons in a clumsy way. But Jerry Pinkney has given us perhaps the only edition of the original story that's readable in this day and age. For that reason alone the book deserves its Caldecott Honor.

The Ugly Duckling.......2005-06-06

I read the book The Ugly duckling by Jerry Pinkney.
The book is about a ugly duckling,everyone is mean to him. One day he got fed up with them so he ran away to a pond but there was a shoot off . So he immediately ran off. After awhile he came across a old ladies house. Her animals were mean to him so he went to a pond.In the winter he froze and a farmer gets him out.He did not like them either so he ran away. In the spring he finds out he is a wonderful swan.
I enjoyed the book because I never heard the part when he got frozen. The theme is never be down about the way you look because you might look better when you get older. This book didn't have good word choice and all the words were easy I liked that.The conflict is he is ugly and everyone is mean to him.The illustrations were very full. the character is the ugly duckling. There are many different version. The intended audience is kids who are not beautiful so they don't feel bad about themselves.

Rabbit Ears Treasury of Fables and Other Stories: The Three Little Pigs/The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Rumpelstiltskin, The Tiger and the Brahmin, The Ugly Duckling (Rabbit Ears)

Average customer rating:

too much music
Great for a long family trip

Rabbit Ears Treasury of Fables and Other Stories: The Three Little Pigs/The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Rumpelstiltskin, The Tiger and the Brahmin, The Ugly Duckling (Rabbit Ears)
Rabbit Ears
Manufacturer: Listening Library (Audio)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Rabbit Ears Treasury of Fairy Tales and Other Stories: Thumbelina, The Talking Eggs, The Fisherman and His Wife, The Emperor and the Nightingale (Rabbit Ears)
Rabbit Ears Treasury of Tall Tales: Volume One: Davy Crockett, Rip Van Winkle, Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyan (Rabbit Ears)
Rabbit Ears Treasury of World Tales: Volume One: Aladdin, Anansi, East of the Sun/West of the Moon, The Five Chinese Brothers (Rabbit Ears)
Rabbit Ears Treasury of Animal Stories: How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin, How the Camel Got His Hump, How the Leopard Got His Spots, Monkey People (Rabbit Ears)
Rabbit Ears: Stories by Beatrix Potter: The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher, and The Tailor of Gloucester (Rabbit Ears)

ASIN: 0739336525
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Book Description

The Rabbit Ears Treasury of Fables and Other Stories entertains and enlightens with these classic animal stories--read by your favorite stars and featuring original music by some of today's greatest artists.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff / The Three Little Pigs
Read by Holly Hunter
Original Music by Art Lande
Three billy goats encounter a greedy troll--and turn the tables on him--when they try to cross a bridge in the popular Norwegian classic The Three Billy Goats Gruff.
The big bad wolf huffs and puffs his way through the tale of the brave pig who outsmarts his fellow oinkers by simply working harder in the all-time favorite The Three Little Pigs.

Rumpelstiltskin
Read by Kathleen Turner
Original Music by Tangerine Dream
When the king orders a young woman to spin a room full of straw into gold, she turns to a mysterious elfin man for help . . . but will the price of his aid be her first-born child?

The Tiger and the Brahmin
Read by Ben Kingsley
Original Music by Ravi Shankar
"I shan't eat you if you let me out of the cage," the tiger tells the Brahmin before the holy man discovers that the tiger intended to eat him all along. Only the intervention of a clever jackal can save the Brahmin from his fate.

The Ugly Duckling
Read by Cher
Original Music by Patrick Ball
Rediscover the inner beauty in all of us with this beloved Hans Christian Andersen story of the outcast duckling who finds himself transformed into a beautiful swan.

Customer Reviews:

too much music.......2007-06-19

I was disappointed for two reasons: first too much background music made it difficult to hear the reader; secondly, the writers changed the story. Why try to "improve" upon a classic like the Three Little Pigs??

Great for a long family trip.......2007-03-30

Our family (5-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son) has enjoyed several of these Rabbit Ears collections while on the road. The stories are long enough, but not so long that attention wanders, and the music is lovely, too.

The Ugly Duckling/El patito feo (Bilingual Fairy Tales)

Average customer rating:

Sad story, but a fine version

The Ugly Duckling/El patito feo (Bilingual Fairy Tales)
Merce Escardo i Bas
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books

No ficción | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books

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Similar Items:

Goldilocks and the Three Bears/ Ricitos de oro y los tres osos
The Three Little Pigs/Los Tres Cerditos (Bilingual Fairy Tales)
Juan y los frijoles mágicos / Jack and the Beanstalk
Princess and the Pea/La princesa y el guisante (Bilingual Fairy Tales)
Cinderella/Cenicienta

ASIN: 0811844552

Book Description

Retold in both Spanish and English, the universally loved story The Ugly Duckling will delight early readers and older learners alike. The striking illustrations give a new look to this classic tale, and the bilingual text makes it perfect for both home and classroom libraries.

Customer Reviews:

Sad story, but a fine version.......2007-07-21

This is an excellent adaptation of the ugly duckling saga, with a crisp, bilingual translation and lovely, cartoonish art. Max, a Barcelona-based comicbook artist uses the tricks of his trade to give the duckling lots of character, and the graphic composition is marvelous, making the most of the modest page size. The story itself is always so sad that I find it hard to get through, but this version was a visual delight. Nice Spanish-English translation, taken from the original Catalan edition, ideal for helping gringo kids learn a little espanol. Recommended!

The Ugly Duckling: Level 1 (Easy-to-Read, Puffin)

Average customer rating:

The ugly duckling

The Ugly Duckling: Level 1 (Easy-to-Read, Puffin)
Harriet Ziefert , and Emily Bolam
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Jack and the Beanstalk
Little Red Riding Hood
The Princess and the Pea (Easy-to-Read, Puffin)
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
The Three Little Pigs

ASIN: 0140383522

Customer Reviews:

The ugly duckling.......2003-09-26

The ugly duckling is a good childrens book because it teaches kids not to judge people because they look differnt or act differnt. This book is about a duck that is ugly, and the other ducks reject the ugly duck. I would recamend this book for children 3-6 because thats what it said on the cover of the book.

Average customer rating:

Pat WI

Little Quack's Bath Book
Lauren Thompson
Manufacturer: Little Simon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Bath Book

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

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Similar Items:

Little Quack
Little Quack's New Friend
Little Quack's Bedtime
Little Quack's Hide and Seek
Little Quack Dial-a-Duck

ASIN: 141690803X

Book Description

Splish, splash, and splosh your way through bath time with the bestselling Little Quack story. This soft vinyl book is safe for all ages and features a detachable Little Quack toy that inflates and floats for more fun in the tub!

Customer Reviews:

Pat WI.......2007-02-12

Very pleased. It was purchased for a baby shower gift basket. Absolutely
adorable. Will purchase again for future gifts and hopefully my own grandchildren some day.

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