After a long and lonely year, Ugly discovers his true identity–he is a beautiful Australian black swan–and finds a home. Ugly meets teenage ganders that verbally and physically spar like egotistic adolescents, but the story takes a grim turn when the shocked duckling (surprising, too, for readers who may not be familiar with the original tale) witnesses their brutal slaughter by hunters. Ugly also learns about humans when he encounters a family and an old woman who talks to herself and her pets. They also alert him to dangerous predators such as a quoll, spurred platypus, and Tasmanian devil. Many helpful animals, including a wombat and a golden bristletail possum, provide advice, warmth, and knowledge. Ejected from the duck colony after a severe pecking because he is different, Ugly sets off to find a friend. The duckling, called Ugly by his Pacific black duck siblings, is late to hatch and behaves strangely, but is sustained by his mother, who believes he is smart. Grade 2-4–Using a Tasmanian setting for this retelling of Hans Christian Andersens The Ugly Duckling, Napoli has fashioned a witty and entertaining book.
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