The Uglified Ducky/ Bluebonnet

Plot Summary:

            Maynard Moose tells a story around a campfire about a baby moose that lies down beside some duck eggs. The momma duck comes around and thinks that the baby moose is one of her chicks. She calls him “Uglified Ducky.” Uglified Ducky cannot do the things that the other ducklings can do, like swim, and fly, and waddle. He is always messing everything up with his awkwardness. One day he is abandoned by his family and wanders upon some adult moose. They finally tell him who he really is, and accept him. In the end, we discover that Maynard Moose is the Uglified Ducky.

Personal Reaction:

            This is a very cute spin off of The Ugly Duckling, and has the same message of acceptance, only with a moose instead of a swan. The message is timeless and appropriate, I do like that this version feels a little more updated than the old story. One of the things that I don’t like about this book is the accents. They are funny to me as an adult, but I think they might be confusing to children and cause breakdowns in comprehension, making the book a higher reading level than it appears (which can also be defeating for struggling readers). In addition, seeing words misspelled can also be difficult for struggling learners. The book is illustrated quite beautifully with bold colors. The use of line is very interesting, with the straight lines and sharp angles that make up the bodies of the animals. The cartoonish looks to the characters add to the light hearted feel. In addition, the illustration adds to the humor of the book by foiling the giant baby moose against baby ducklings.

Claflin, W., Stimson, J., & Andersen, H. C. (2008). The uglified ducky. Atlanta, Ga.: August House LittleFolk.