Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 1-3. Trying to appeal to a preschool audience, most picture-book versions of The Ugly Duckling take out much of the misery and thus lessen the impact of the happy ending, when the ugly duckling, rejected by the barnyard fowls, is accepted by his fellow swans. In this edition, Bell's graceful translation tells the whole story of the hero's misfortune, rejection, and misery, creating a feeling of darkness true to Andersen's text and making the ending more wonderful in comparison with the suffering that has gone before. Ingpen's beautifully composed paintings, which appear to incorporate elements of collage, are rather dark. Though the placement of text over patterned backgrounds may occasionally make reading hard for children, this is probably a book for adults to read aloud. A handsome edition that respects its source. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this faithful retelling, Mitchell embraces Andersen's classic but abridges the melancholy Dane's crueler jabs. As in the original, this opens on a bucolic moat where a patient duck warms her nest "under the burdock leaves" and a stork "chatter[s] in Egyptian" (a puzzling detail to preserve for contemporary readers). After the title ugly duckling emerges, even his mother admits "he's not quite the right shape," and finally says, "I wish you were far, far away." Fainthearted readers may pale at the ceaseless hazing and at a scene where two rude geese get shot by hunters (in Andersen, the scene is bloodier). Mitchell omits some nastiness, including suggestions that the duckling is fortunate not to be an ugly female. The didacticism, however, remains: when the duckling realizes he is a swan, "the misery he had undergone... made him appreciate all the more his happiness now.... But he was not at all conceited, for a good heart never becomes conceited." Johnson and Fancher (Casey Back at Bat) provide rural, old-fashioned settings, yet undercut the naturalism with collaged details. Rather than having fuzzy down, the swan-to-be appears covered in pasted-together scraps of lead-and-buttermilk-colored lace; the "royal... magnificent" swans resemble porcelain vases filigreed in pretty blue glaze. This layered effect is pretty but not entirely graceful, and the revelatory ending is muted rather than exhilarating. All the same, it leaves Andersen's spirit intact. Ages 4-8. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4-This beautifully illustrated retelling of Andersen's classic tale has some minor changes in the text but overall maintains the integrity of the original; in fact, the retelling really seems unnecessary especially since there are no source notes and there are already many good translations of this story available. It is the mixed-media illustrations that will likely intrigue readers; the art combines painting with lace to achieve a textural and patterned appearance. A stunning spread shows a close-up of a goose with wings stretched wide that impressively depict distinct and realistic-looking feathers as it flies over a serene country landscape. Each page is suffused with color, predominantly bright shades of green, blue, and brown, and the bold font stands out clearly from the background. Small images are interspersed with the text-eggs cracking open, a dog rushing into the marsh, and a raven perched on a fence post. There are many other lovely visual interpretations available, including those by Jerry Pinkney (Morrow, 1999) and Robert Ingpen (Minedition, 2005).-Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Preschool, Primary) Mitchell retells the familiar story, preserving just enough of the character of Andersen's narrative voice to give his adaptation a tart, bracing flavor. The cygnet hatched by the mother duck must contend with opinionated creatures from all corners of barnyard, marsh, and forest. Andersen's genius for delineating personality comes through in punchy, precise language that helps undercut the pathos of what in many hands is a very sentimental tale. "You're a ninny, and it's not much fun being around you. Believe me, I'm only speaking for your own good," Mitchell's oh-so-smug hen tells the duckling. The ugly duckling's emergence into glorious swanhood doesn't quite overpower this memorable, piquant language; but Johnson and Fancher's lacy, luminous art, rich with underwaterlike greens, gives that moment all the visual splendor it deserves. The decorative paper that is the basis of their paint-and-collage art imbues the book with an air of fine elegance: swans float with delicate porcelain lightness, and the newly hatched duckling resembles a downy Faberge confection. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An acceptable unabridged version, although it's too bad that one of the fine translations (e.g., Keigwin's) couldn't have been used instead of this rewrite. On the other hand, Howell's realistic paintings are handsome: beautifully designed, glowing with rich, subtle color and light, with both creatures and people appropriately characterized. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
