The Ugly Duckling

The Ugly duckling

An ugly duckling spends an unhappy year ostracized by the other animals before he grows into a beautiful swan.From Publishers WeeklyIf ever an artist dove straight to the heart of a familiar and much-loved fairy tale, Howell has done so in this atmospheric retelling of the classic tale of the downtrodden "duckling" who discovers he's actually a swan. This accomplished artist's light-dappled paintings have a dreamy air, as if a long summer afternoon had somehow been captured between the covers of a book. There is no anthropomorphizing here: Howell is obviously familiar with barnyard animals and his paintings are firmly rooted in the peasant tradition from which many good folktales spring. The colors are of the rich earth as well--the browns and russets of stone farmhouses in the afternoon sun, the muted shades of autumn. Howell's particular gift, however, is his use of light. Some of the images seem almost illuminated from within, as when the cygnet watches a flock of swans cross a Turneresque sky. For its art and language alike, this glorious work is a worthy addition to any folk- and fairy tale bookshelf. Ages 5-9.Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.From School Library JournalKindergarten-Grade 5-- While Howell's text does not improve on R. P. Keigwin's standard translation, it retains the flavor of the original and is quite readable; however, it's Howell's illustrations that are the main interest here. Large full-color pictures done in oil-glazed acrylic have the combination of realistic forms with the impressionistic blurring of details and the dramatic rendition of light found in late 19th-century paintings. This is not an easy tale to illustrate. Ducks, without the cuteness of a cartoon style or excessive anthropomorphism, are difficult to imbue with emotion. Howell, though, is a master of animal body language. He also uses changing and unusual perspective to add drama to the pictures. On the cover, readers are eye to eye with the ugly duckling emerging gray and rumpled from the egg as mother duck stands over him, head cocked in what seems to be a questioning manner. In other pictures, readers see the long view, as when the duckling calls aloud with unaccountable longing to the swans passing far overhead in the dark autumn sky. The book has an attractive design, utilizing illustrated capital letters to mark the chapters and indicate the changing seasons. Clear typeface with plenty of white space faces each full-page illustration, with several two-page illustrations interspersed. A lovely version of the timeless Andersen story. --Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KYCopyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.