Classics Illustrated Junior: The Ugly Duckling

Classics Illustrated Junior No. 2:
The Ugly Duckling
By Hans Christian Andersen

When my daughter saw the cover to this she started sobbing. Comforting her, I asked why and she explained that since she was little (and she's only nine now) she had thought the story sad.

I reminded her about the happy ending and she said she knew that but it didn't matter because it was awful the things that happened in it.

I looked at the cover and I nearly started sniffling myself. From the duckling's great big tear to the snapping mother duck in the background, it says it all.

William A. Walsh drew the cover and illustrates the comic strip adaptation within, and it's one that, though awkward in design in places, features pleasant drawings and includes some nice little scenes.

A tale about bullying. I can't remember, do the very young think that we all turn beautiful in the end and so others will stop picking on us, or do they readily acknowledge metaphors and understand they'll one day be appreciated for their own unique talents and personalities?

I'm not sure, but, I think, my daughter was trying to tell me that bullying is bullying and even when it stops you can't change the fact that it did happen.

Since it shouldn't happen in the first place, if we can educate our kids about such things early in life and get them to stand up against them then perhaps we wouldn't have so many adults in workplaces attempting to continue their bullying ways in positions of relative power.

Sorry for going off into a sermon there but as anyone around me knows, I don't tolerate attempts at bullying well.

This a very valuable little comic book, and overall nicely done.

For more about Classic Illustrated titles from Classic Comic Store Ltd visit: www.classicsillustrated.co.uk