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The Ugly Duckling: a book club kit
Where it comes from. Hans Christian Andersen, a storyteller in Denmark, wrote this in 1843. Some people think he was the duckling.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). A big gray duckling hatches last, and the animals in the farmyard laugh at him because he looks different. He runs away and lives alone through a long, cold winter. In the spring he sees his reflection in a lake and finds that he has grown into a white swan.
The lesson, in one line. Who you are matters more than how others see you.
Reading plan. Read it together at the meeting: about 7 minutes aloud, or ahead of time at home.
Questions to talk about
- Is The Ugly Duckling a true story?
The story's answer: No. It is a made-up fairy tale by the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen, published in 1843. Many readers see his own life in it, and his diary for the summer of 1842 says he got the idea for a story about a duck while out on a walk. - Why was the ugly duckling ugly?
The story's answer: He was not a duckling at all. He was a young swan, called a cygnet, who hatched in a duck's nest. Young swans keep their gray feathers for at least a year, so he looked very different from the yellow ducklings, and the other animals teased him for it. In the spring he finds out he is a swan. - Who in the story was kind, and who was not? How do you know?
Listen for: Ask for the moment in the story that shows it. - Which part would you change, and how would the story end then?
Listen for: There is no wrong ending; ask what else would have to change. - Is there a rule of three in this story (three tries, three wishes, three visitors)? Why do you think fairy tales like threes?
Listen for: Many do; a third time is where the change happens. - Who would you give this story to, and why them?
Listen for: A reader who can name the right person has understood what the story is like.
Did you know?
- Written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen and published in Copenhagen in 1843.
- Its Danish title is Den grimme Ælling.
- It is not an old folk tale: Andersen made the story up himself.
Activity: Draw the story as a map
On one big sheet, draw every place the story happens and the path between them. Mark the spot where things go wrong and the spot where they come right.
More to talk about
More facts for the leader
- A baby swan is called a cygnet. Young mute swans have gray feathers and are white when they are grown.
- Many readers see Andersen himself in the duckling.
Words to teach before you start
- marsh: wet, grassy land
- miserable: very unhappy
- dazzling: brightly shining
- graceful: smooth and lovely
- reflection: picture in water
- clumsy: awkward
Questions leaders ask
How long does a The Ugly Duckling book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 7 minutes in all, so plan one meeting of 30 to 45 minutes, with time left for the questions. The reading plan on the sheet says where to stop.
What age is The Ugly Duckling for?
It is written at Peabody level 8, a grade 3 reading level, so most children at that level can read it alone. Younger children can listen to it read aloud.
Do the children need to read it before the meeting?
No. Each child can read it free on Peabody, before the meeting or together at it, and the questions work either way. The sheet's short version gives the ending away, so keep it for the leader.
How do I use the questions?
Start with the story's own questions, which have answers in the leader's notes, then move to the open ones and listen for reasons. There is no wrong answer to an open question. Stop when the group runs out of things to say.
Club kits for stories like this
- Jack and the Beanstalk (level 8)
- Stone Soup (level 8)
- The Bremen Town Musicians (level 8)
- The Elves and the Shoemaker (level 8)
- The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats (level 8)
- Tom Thumb (level 8)
How this kit is made
The short version, the facts and the first questions with their answers are the story's own, written for its page in Peabody's library and checked against the sources named there. The open questions, the activity and the plan are Peabody's, written for this kind of story. No part of it is written by a computer model.
Running the meeting: the meeting plans (30, 45 and 60 minutes) and the sign-up sheet.