The ugly duckling El patito feo

K-Gr 3-Two competent retellings of classic fairy tales are presented in an attractive format. In both volumes, a page of text appears opposite a colorful pen-and-ink and watercolor cartoon. The artists' styles, however, are very different. In The Ugly Duckling, the art has strong black outlines and a pale, understated palette. Unfortunately, the swan of the end of the story does not look significantly different from the duckling in his ugly phase. The paintings for The Princess and the Pea are detailed and bright. Especially effective is the drenched look of the pictures of the rainstorm, with the opulent colors bleeding just slightly. The Spanish translations reflect the English-accurate as to plot but lacking Hans Christian Andersen's distinctive voice. While not as informed as other versions using a more authentic or traditional translation, such as Anthea Bell's translation of The Princess and the Pea (S & S, 1991) or Patricia McKissack's El patito feo/The Ugly Little Duck (Children's, 1989; o.p.), these stylish adaptations are excellent introductions to a classic author for ELL programs and libraries that serve significant Hispanic populations. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In these bilingual tales, the short texts are smoothly translated from the original Catalan. In Duckling, especially, the text flows lyrically in both English and Spanish; the bold, almost cartoonish illustrations are effective. The illustrations in the nicely told Princess place the story in an Indian setting. [Review covers these titles: The Princess and the Pea / La princesa y el guisante and The Ugly Duckling / El patito feo.] (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.