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.

Band

Yellow · Emerging readers, about 6 to 8

Length

medium · about 541 words in 6 sections · 4 pictures

Source

Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, H. C. Andersen · Project Gutenberg

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

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.