Children love stories. Bring the magic of good storytelling into your classroom with Classic Tales, and they'll love their English lessons too. Follow the adventures of the famous duckling. Why is he big, strange, and ugly?

DIVTitle story plus "The Red Shoes," "Thumbelina," "The Emperor’s New Clothes," "The Little Match Girl," "The Nightingale," two more. /div

An ugly duckling spends an unhappy year ostracized by the other animals before he grows into a beautiful swan.

This favorite fairy tale is perfect for parents looking for children's classics to read with their little one. Teased by his siblings for his different looks, the brave cygnet journeys into the world, looking for friendship and kindness. Adapted from Hans Christian Andersen's original story, this is the story of how one little duckling overcomes obstacles and challenges, and with patience and determination, finally finds the companionship for which he has been searching. The charming illustrations by Giuseppe di Lernia in this picture book are sure to capture the imaginations of little ones, and the large format of this book is ideal for sharing with children aged 3 to 5 and reading together at bedtime.

Word Count: 689

Rare edition with unique illustrations. Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author best known for writing children's stories including "The Little Mermaid" and "The Ugly Duckling." But he didn't just write short stories, and his intended audience wasn't restricted to children. In addition to his fairy tales, Andersen wrote poems, plays, novels, travel books, essays, and more. He hungered for recognition at home (Denmark) and abroad-and he got it! Eventually. Today, his stories can be read in over one hundred languages. But no matter what language they're in, Andersen's tales have got something for everyone. In them, you'll find beauty, tragedy, nature, religion, artfulness, deception, betrayal, love, death, judgment, penance, and-occasionally-a happy ending. They're complex tales, but since Andersen himself was pretty complex, we like to think that art imitates life. Or something like that. "The Ugly Duckling" is a literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen. The story tells of a homely little bird born in a barnyard who suffers abuse from the others around him until, much to his delight (and to the surprise of others), he matures into a beautiful swan, the most beautiful bird of all. The story is beloved around the world as a tale about personal transformation for the better.