It's here! Browse the 2024 Penguin Christmas gift guide
Duckling

Duckling

A Fairy Tale Revolution

Summary

Kamila Shamsie retells 'The Ugly Duckling'. A Fairy Tale Revolution is here to remix and revive our favourite stories.

'A duck unlike other ducks. A raincloud-duck, with the heart of a lion, who struck out into the world on her own...'

On the farm, some eggs are hatching. A flock of sweet ducklings are popping out. But one duckling looks different from all the others...

Cast out and all alone, this odd duckling will need all her bravery and curiosity to survive. Her journey is a search for belonging, but what she finds is the right to be different.

Reviews

  • Duckling, written in a clear, poetic voice reminiscent of Wilde's Happy Prince, is at times almost painfully affecting...but brimming over, too, with heart and courage
    Imogen Russell Williams, Times Literary Supplement

About the authors

Kamila Shamsie

Kamila Shamsie is the author of eight novels, which have been translated into over 30 languages. Her novels include Home Fire (2018) which won the Women’s Prize for Fiction and was long listed for the Man Booker Prize, Burnt Shadows which won the Premio Boccaccio in Italy, and A God in Every Stone which won the Anisfield-Wolf Award. She grew up in Karachi, has an MFA from the University of Manchester in Amherst, and now lives in London.
Learn More

Laura Barrett (Illustrator)

Laura Barrett is an illustrator inspired by the darker side of folk and fairy tales, and enjoys working in the medium of traditional Scherenschnitte (paper cutting). Since graduating from University of the Arts London and with over 10 years of industry experience, Laura has worked with a stellar client list including the BBC and The Guardian. Laura works from her home studio in South East London.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more