The Ugly Duckling
A fairy tale retold from Hans Christian Andersen
The Ugly Duckling is one of Hans Christian Andersen's most beloved fairy tales, first published in Denmark in 1843. Andersen was a Danish author whose stories have been translated into many languages and read by children all over the world. This story teaches that true beauty comes from within, and that being different does not mean being less. It reminds us that everyone deserves kindness, no matter how they look. This text reflects its era.
- Band
- Yellow · Emerging readersTypical starting range: ages 6–8
- Length
- medium · about 541 words in 6 sections · 4 pictures
- Source
- Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, H. C. Andersen
- First published
- see the About page in the reader
- Regions
- Canada · United States
Included formats
- · Web reader and PDF
- · EPUB for e-readers
- · Home-print sheet
- · Folded booklet
- · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
- · Worksheet
- · Quick Check (8 questions) with answer key
- · Read-aloud script
- · Colouring page
- · Teacher’s Edition (members)
Lesson at a glance
- Reading
- about 10 minutes at this band
- Pause questions
- 2
- Words to Know
- 6
- Quick Check
- 8 questions, with the answer key
- Let’s Talk
- 3 questions for afterwards
- Worksheet
- questions, an activity and a drawing prompt
About 35 minutes with one story, all of it.
Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.
Report a concern about this reader · What’s in a HummingRead reader
The same story
Other bands of this story
This story is ready now at the Yellow band only. Other bands can be made to order for members after launch.