Hugo the Odd Duckling

Hugo the Odd Duckling is the protagonist of the children's book The Odd Duckling by Elisa Huberman.

The Odd Duckling
Hugo is first revealed as the last of many hatched eggs laid by Mother Duck. He is different from them because of his blue feathers and complexion and he enjoys singing.

He is laughed at by the other animals on a farm and indeed he is different from them. Hugo has autism, and it is shown that he is bothered by loud noises like the crowing of roosters, prefers cookies and milk over food the other ducklings eat, and he impersonates the other animals' noises. One night, he sings with the farmyard dogs and wakes up the animals.

Hugo is also distracted by the insects and other small animals and especially likes everything blue and enjoys drawing; that worries Mother Duck. He befriends Piggy Pig the pig, who lets him paint on him.

When Hugo paints on the barn, the stern Mr. Drake notices this, reprimands and unjustly punishes him. Hugo weeps, and Piggy Pig and one of the farmyard dogs cheer him up.

In the end, Hugo's art inspires the animals and he becomes the most special duckling on the farm.

Videos
https://vimeo.com/89036780

Trivia

 * Hugo's name is never mentioned in the book.
 * He is inspired by The Ugly Duckling.