Review: An illustrated version of a classic fairy tale
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 28, 2013
"The Ugly Duckling" is arguably Hans Christian Andersen's best known fairy tale. The story tells of a homely little bird who suffers abuse from the others around him until, much to his delight and to the surprise of others, he matures into a beautiful swan. It's a great story for children and grownups alike, with the swan in the story being a metaphor for inner beauty and talent that may not be recognized until later in life. For younger children, it's just an enjoyable fairy tale that doesn't have to have a moral.Since Andersen was Danish, all of his works published in English are translations, and this is the well known 1872 English translation by H.P. Paull. This version of the story includes modern color illustrations, but they're small and don't add too much to the story. The story isn't very long, and would make a great bedtime story for children of around kindergarten age or older.