Hans Christian Andersen is one of the most famous writers of fairy tales. The Snow Queen is one of the longest tales and one of his best known. He would listen to folk and fairy tales as a child and when he grew up, he wrote some of these stories in his own words.

Anderson began writing The Snow Queen on December 5, 1844 and it was published sixteen days later in book form! His fairy tales made him famous and the stories have been translated into more than 100 languages and some have been made into films, like the Little Mermaid.

Nilesh Mistry is one of my favorite illustrators. He was born in Bombay and moved to London, England in 1975. His books include The Illustrated Book of Fairy Tales and Aladdin. I simply want to own every book he illustrates!

In the story of The Snow Queen, you will find illustrations and photography that shows the settings of the original book. This classic is again brought to life, yet never so beautifully as with Nilesh Mistry's art. Kai is whirled away by the icily beautiful Snow Queen. His playmate Gerda sets out to find him and encounters many adventures in his quest. This is a story I remember very well, yet I had to imagine the pictures in my own mind as a child.

In this book, she looks hauntingly similar to how I pictured her as a child. "The driver stood up, in a coat and hat of purest snow. She was a woman, tall and glittering. She was the Snow Queen."

The story begins with a story about the Devil who laughed at his own cleverness. He creates a mirror that sets people against one another by making people see the ugly side of things. If a splinter of glass from the mirror ever entered a person's eye, their heart would become a lump of solid ice. (quite a lesson there to be sure!)

When the "imps" decide to take the mirror up to the angels and try to make fun of them, it falls and shatteres into a hundred pieces. When "Kai" finds a grain of glass in his heart his entire attitude to life is changed. "Keep away from me!" he screeches at his friend Gerda.

Then one day he falls off his sled and sees the Snow Queen. She kisses him with her cold lips on his forehead and she takes him away through a cloud of darkness up into the sky. When Kai doesn't come home, Gerda goes looking for him. She sings to the river and drifts in a boat down a river to find Kai.

Gerda is a contrast to Kai and is loving and kind. Only when a spell is broken is evil defeated. After the story a page of where the event takes place helps make the story more interesting. Finally, we can explore the real and imaginary world of The Snow Queen.

Even as an adult, I am fascinated by fairy tales. They appeal to the child in us all and to something deep inside of us that knows, good will triumph over evil, in the end.

Family Classic Audio Books is a series of outstanding "theater of the mind" audiobook productions featuring a full cast performance. One of their latest offerings for young listeners (and their families) are Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairytale The Snow Queen adapted and with lyrics by Adrian Mitchell set to music by Richard Peaslee and wonderfully narrated by Jonathan Pryce. The Snow Queen follows young Gerda's quest (with help from some magical characters she meets en route) to rescue her friend Kai from the icy clutches of the Snow Queen.

The messages relating to lifes journey are wonderful. If you have never read this book as a child or as an adult, it is a must!

I really liked reading Han's Christian Anderson's biography. You learn a lot about him, and his stories from this book. He is one of the greatest writers ever. He tells the story of his life beautifully. It was full of adventures and travels, of which he tells a lot about in his book. He truly liked all people. I highly recommend this book, and would give it more stars if I could.

The Fairy Tale Of My Life is Hans Christian Andersen's autobiography. Andersen (1805-1875) had an undeniable gift for storytelling that led to the creating of a series of classic fairytales that included "The Little Mermaid", "The Ugly Duckling", and "The Snow Queen. His sense of fantasy, descriptive abilities, and sensitivity to human emotions are also evident in the candor and engaging self-told story of his life from the extreme poverty of a provincial childhood to the international celebrity of his final years. Careful readers will also find valued insights into the sources for many of his most famous and enduringly popular stories. The Fairy Tale Of My Life is a "must" for the legions of Hans Christian Andersen fans!

The Fairy Tale Of My Life is Hans Christian Andersen's autobiography. Andersen (1805-1875) had an undeniable gift for storytelling that led to the creating of a series of classic fairytales that included "The Little Mermaid", "The Ugly Duckling", and "The Snow Queen. His sense of fantasy, descriptive abilities, and sensitivity to human emotions are also evident in the candor and engaging self-told story of his life from the extreme poverty of a provincial childhood to the international celebrity of his final years. Careful readers will also find valued insights into the sources for many of his most famous and enduringly popular stories. The Fairy Tale Of My Life is a "must" for the legions of Hans Christian Andersen fans!

Not only is the author great (I know her!) but this book explores an interesting topic. Those paper cuttings are unreal! I mean they are real, but they are so amazing!

A little boy had a set of tin soldiers that were made from a melted spoon. One soldier was missing a leg because there was not enough metal left over from the melted spoon.

Tossed aside by the boy, the one-legged soldier sees a paper cut out figure of a ballerina. She is poised on one leg and he feels an instant bond. He has found another one-legged toy and believes this to be love.

The steadfast tin soldier has a series of mishaps. He falls off the window sill into a stream. From there, he is transported to a rat infested sewer. He is swallowed by a fish and through an unlikely stroke of luck, winds up back in the boy's playroom with the other toys and the ballerina.

The ending is what gets to me every single time. A gust of wind lifts the paper ballerina up and she flutters into the fire place, winding up a charred heap of ashes. Devastated, the tin soldier joins her. The remaining metal that was once the tin soldier is a charred piece of heart shaped metal.

I still think this is a very sad story. The photographs really emphasize the feeling this story evokes.

I taught 1st grade for 4 years and all of the teachers in my grade passed this book around at Christmas to read to our class. I cried everytime I read it. It has a wonderful message and my kids in my classroom always loved it! I have now (finally) purchased my own copy of this book to read to my little girl. It is a classic and I know she will love it as much as I do. Every home should have this book to read at Christmastime.

This is a really good book. It has all the characteristic's that made the original a cherished and remembered fairy tale. It is a great gift for any young child, and can be enjoyed by adults too. It maintains the feel of the original tale, but is more like a poem. The art work on each page is beautiful, and the pictures are totally devine. I would recomend buying this for a different and fully enjoyable version of the original.

Anderson, Hans C. The Ugly Duckling. Morrow Junior Books: New York, 1999. In The Ugly Duckling, a duck is having trouble fitting in. The other animals pick on him for being distinctively different from the other ducklings. Due to an overwhelming amount of embarrassment, he runs away. He stumbles across the house of a little old woman. He stays with her for a brief amount of time before he leaves her house also. A man finds him and takes him home. The man's children want to play with the duck. The duckling thinks that they are teasing him. He becomes frightened and runs out of their house. To his surprise, when he returns to the wild and sees his reflection in the water, he realizes that he has become a beautiful swan. Through kind words, comforting suggestions, and an attitude of faith, this story plays an active part in portraying the role of motherhood. The duck's mother is willing to accept the fact that one of her little ducklings are different from the others and deal with it appropriately. "She just took care that the big egg was as warm as the rest." She even puts forth an extra effort to hatch the oddly shaped egg. This Mother is willing to love her child no matter what the circumstances. She brings out the best in her child by making him feel good about himself. The duck's mother finds the hidden qualities that make her child special. She gives her child a feeling of hope for whatever life may put in his path. On one of the pages in the book, the illustrator creates something that really stands out. The mother duck's foot is carefully drawn between her baby and the other animals that are picking on him. In this picture, the mother is portraying how most mothers are a great source of protection for their kids. Mothers provide us with that feeling of protection from the minute that we are born until the day that we pass away. They make us feel safe. When everyone laughs at him, she is there to take his side. "He will make his way in the world as well as anybody." In the midst of such negative taunting, the mother duck finds the positive qualities that he beholds. Mothers stand up for you when you are too young to stand up for yourself. The author and the illustrator work together to reflect the protective bond that most mothers instinctively have. The little old woman in the book also shows an aspect of motherhood. She wants to give the duck a chance when the cat and chicken do not believe in him. "Oh, you are all talking nonsense. We will let it stay for a bit, for I am sure we will see some eggs from the creature soon enough." The mothering instinct that the old lady beholds allows the duck to stay and have a fair chance to prove that he can lay an egg. Mothers tell you that you can be whatever you want to be. You just have to believe in yourself. They are the ones who never give up on their children. A mother listens to your dreams and inspires you to fulfill them. The Ugly Duckling is a very meaningful story. This story shows that making the best of any situation is the best way to get good things out of it. If nothing else, we learn from our mistakes. Mothers play an extremely important role in the lives of their children. Through positive input, a protective attitude, and never giving up, this mother shows her unconditional love.

Have you ever felt intrigued by the painfully weird paths Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales follow? Dr. Lederer explicates the text and offers insights that assist the reader, the teacher, and the lonely searcher in all of us

You wouldn't think that dinosaurs would have any place in the classic Andersen tale, but indeed, this retelling of The Emperor's New Clothes is wonderful. By just reading the text, there is no indication that this version features dinousaurs - this speaks to the creativity of the illustrator, Diane Goode. What pictures! They really make the story come alive. A fun book for those new to the story, and for those who enjoy fresh perspectives.

Although this is a highly readable, extremely informative biography, the death of my Hollywood-derived impressions of Hans Christian Anderson, as personified by Danny Kaye, was a tortured one.

As Wullschlager clearly illustrates, Anderson was not a very likeable character. Easily wounded and quick to take offense (even where it was unwarranted), strangely self-assured to the point of embarrassing those around him with his pomposity and silliness (if not himself), he seems to have been almost incapable of giving the same friendship that he demanded of others. Even so, Wullschlager succeeds in making him sympathetic. Rather than try to make excuses for his behavior, she just lays out the facts and presents him as he was. She is particularly effective when she associates events in Anderson's life with the fairy tales and repeating literary themes they inspired.

That Anderson was able to transform his inner demons into timeless, allegorical tales that are both touching and uplifting is remarkable. That he was able to do so after having overcome seemingly insurmountable hurdles in his background and early education marks him for the genius he was-warts and all.

This is a very good biography of an unusual, but brilliant, story-teller.

A well-researched critical, yet sympathetic biography of the complex brilliance which was Hans Christian Andersen.
When you reach the pages describing his death, you feel like you have lost a dear friend. HCA was known for his children's fiction, but in fact, many of his works are for adults. This biography is particularly interesting as it gives some insight into his little known adult works, together with his character, and places his work in the cultural context in Europe in which it found itself.

Others collected folk stories and retold them; but Hans Christian Andersen's efforts stood out from his peers in that he was the first to create fairy stories himself. Surprisingly, this is the first comprehensive study of Andersen and his work to be published in English, telling of his life and poverty, his struggle to achieve fame, and the psychological forces which drove him to keep on producing. A fascinating and different portrait of the man evolves.

The illustrations in this book are fantastic. The translation purports to be Mary Howitt's, with "only the smallest adjustments...in concession to contemporary pace and attitude." I find it more romantic, however, to fly through the aether and risk being crushed to pieces rather than the more scientific "sailing through the atmosphere" and being crushed to "atoms." The editor also decided to omit the term "slaves"; apparently she'd prefer to hide from human history instead of facing it. Still, an edited Howitt is significantly better than the insipid prose issued by Disney.

I read the story when I was 9, it was for school and I hated it. I always thought it is a girly book. Now I read it again with the fantastic illustration of Charles Santore, I know why Disney adopt it into a movie.
If you are looking for beautiful modern children illustration works, this is the book you have to get. Charles Santore brings out the mysterious mood of ocean merfolk, which is something missing from any other little mermaid illustrations I've encountered.
The book is a bit pricy but it is worth every penny. It is a classical novel with the quality of classic art.

Ever since my youth Hans Christian Andersen's story of 'The little mermaid' has tugged at my heartstrings profoundly. There have been many translations of this story, some with different endings than Andersen's original tale. This edition however provides Andersen's original story as translated by his friend and correspondent Mary Howitt. The tragic story of the courageous little mermaid who sacrifices so much, will always have the power to touch me deeply. Her longing for love, freedom and humanity is universal. A tragic yet unforgettable heroine. The superb and breathtaking illustrations by Charles Santore perfectly capture and evoke the tragedy of the mermaid's plight and sacrifice.

For children this volume is a great introduction to Andersen which might lead them to his other stories. However this edition of 'The little mermaid' is a wonderful treasure for all people who are interested in Andersen regardless of their age.

The Ugly Duckling. The Little Mermaid. The Tinderbox. The Emperor's New Clothes. The Princess and the Pea. It's all here!

C. S. Lewis, in his preface to "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," observed that as children we grow out of hearing fairy tales, but as an adult we can come back to them with fresh eyes and be enchanted in a different way. HCA stories have that amphibian quality of living above and below the supposed age limits.

I find it surprising that HCA writing in a minor language would be so popular, but he is a genius at writing fairy tales. The Grimm Boys just collected and edited the German fairy tales, but HCA was generating new and original fairy tales. I hope we don't sluff off this unique talent he had solely on the ground that he was writing to children. After all, how many naked Emperors have we seen? The comic Dilbert gets it's life blood from the fact that so many emperors can be smooth-talked by so many charlatans, and be sustained in their delusion by smarmy sycophants, and only brought to light by a child.

If children can understand this, why can't we adults?

On the printing-side of the book, I would like to see this in a hardbound, with durable paper, and not the thin and fragile newsprint. I am almost afraid to read this book since the opaper is so delicate!

Every child should read Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales a first introduction to fantasy and modern tales of today. The book is great for adults also. Many stories I recall from my own childhood as I devoured the fairy tales that are enduring and lasting as classics forever.
Evelyn Horan - author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Books One - Three

It is a pity that most people only know Hans Christian Andersen for a few of his "easiest" fairy tales. What springs to mind for almost everyone is stories like "The Emperor's New Clothes", "The Ugly Duckling" and perhaps "The Snowqueen". But Hans Christian Andersen has written a vast array of profoundly touching tales. In Odense, Denmark the Danish actor Troels Møller said (two years ago in a lecture on "H.C.A. & God"),

"We are all going to die. H.C.Andersen knew this, he worked with it and he used it to show us all the beauty of life - the beauty of all life."

His stories are not only for children they are for everyone. The likes of H.C.Andersen can be found nowhere. If you want to discover the full grandeur of his genius you MUST read more than just his popular works. I would even urge you to go to Odense to learn Danish - Much is lost in translation. But although the English translation doesn't reach the heights of the original Danish text I still give it one of my 5 star sets. And don't think that it's a case of petty nationalism - you will find no other Danish writer that I'll grant 5 great ones. It is entertainment, philosphy and religion.