A drab hatchling endures jeers from sleek siblings and farmyard foes, his mismatched mottled feathers fueling flocks of scornful sneers. Wandering through wintry woes and watery woes, he blooms into a swan amid spring's splendor, embraced by his elegant kin. De La Touche's tender retelling tempers Andersen's ache with hope, a bedtime balm on blooming beyond bullies for budding believers.
