Jerry Pinkney: The Ugly Duckling

Jerry Pinkney is a multi-award winning illustrator and author. He has won numerous Caldecott Honors, Coretta Scott King Awards, and ALA Awards. His website, http://www.jerrypinkneystudio.com/frameset.html, has excellent examples of his work in children's literature. His adaptation and illustration of Hans Christian Anderson's The Ugly Duckling was published in 1999.

The classic tale of self-actualization focuses on the trials of the self-described animal "too ugly even for a dog to eat" to the beautiful swan he was destined to become. Pinkney's illustrations are large, two page spreads that are filled with details that will engage children for hours. The illustrations are colorful, yet subtle in presentation, as watercolor tends to be.

The timeless tale of adversity, bullying, and eventual triumph as the duckling blossoms and fulfills his destiny as a swan can give hope to child who find themselves in similar situations. Too short, too tall, too heavy, too skinny, glasses, braces; these are situations that many students worry constantly over and stories like The Ugly Duckling may provide a brief respite for them. This would be an excellent book to read the first day of school and have students write about their own visions of themselves in the future--this would give the classroom teacher insight to the individual student; their fears and their dreams. A Spanish version of the book is available.

An entertaining and informative interview of Pinkney for children can be found at http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet/bookzone/pinkney.htm. The author and illustrator is pictured to the right.