The Ugly Duckling, Hans Christian Andersen, Illustrated by Adrienne Adams Copyright 1965

The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen, illustrated by Adrienne Adams,Charles Schriber & Sons, New York. Copyright 1965
This is a timeless classic- 'The Ugly Duckling' is a popular story about personal transformation and self-image. It is sometimes said that Anderson wrote the story based on his own experiences as a boy, being teased for the shape of his nose and facial features and for his social awkwardness. . . .

Characteristic of the fairy tale story, Anderson's tale shows a character overcoming a challenge and miraculously arriving at a happy ending. The Ugly Duckling's transformation might not be magical in the same way we think of magic in stories like 'Cinderella'. . ., but the magic is in his self-discovery and how much being loved and accepted alters his appearance as much as his natural growing up. Part of the duckling's struggle comes from the treatment he receives from others, but also from the fact that he simply accepts their perception of him and doesn't realize, until he gets a good look at himself, how truly beautiful and wonderful he is. While he transforms into a beautiful swan on the outside, the real transformation occurs inside him; only when he finds a group who accepts him at face-value does he have the courage to examine his own reflection. The moral of the story teaches us to accept one another no matter how different we might appear.

This is a hardcover which is good condition, the dust jacket does have wear and slight tearing on the edges. The interior is free of rips, tears or markings with beautiful soft watercolor style illustrations. A very handsome copy. It measures 10 1/2" x 8 1/4" x 1/2"

Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his fairy tales. Andersen's popularity is not limited to children; his stories express themes that transcend age and nationality.
Andersen's fairy tales, of which no fewer than 3381 works have been translated into more than 125 languages, have become culturally embedded in the West's collective consciousness, readily accessible to children, but presenting lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity for mature readers as well.
His most famous fairy tales include "The Emperor's New Clothes," "The Little Mermaid," "The Nightingale," "The Steadfast Tin Soldier", "The Snow Queen," "The Ugly Duckling," "The Little Match Girl," and "Thumbelina." His stories have inspired ballets, plays, and animated and live-action films

Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense, Denmark on 2 April 1805. He was an only child. His father, also named Hans, considered himself related to nobility (his paternal grandmother had told his father that their family had belonged to a higher social class, but investigations have disproved these stories). A persistent speculation suggests that Andersen was an illegitimate son of King Christian VIII, but this notion has been challenged.
Andersen's father, who had received an elementary school education, introduced his son to literature, reading to him the Arabian Nights.Andersen's mother, Anne Marie Andersdatter, was an illiterate washerwoman. Andersen was sent to a local school for poor children where he received a basic education and had to support himself, working as an apprentice to a weaver and, later, to a tailor. At fourteen, he moved to Copenhagen to seek employment as an actor. Having an excellent soprano voice, he was accepted into the Royal Danish Theatre, but his voice soon changed. A colleague at the theatre told him that he considered Andersen a poet. Taking the suggestion seriously, Andersen began to focus on writing.