Hans Andersen's Christmas Tales: The Snow Queen / The Fir-Tree / The Snow Man / The Little Match Girl

by Hans Christian Andersen

The Hans Andersen Fairy Tales will be read in schools and homes as long as there are children who love to read. As a story-teller for children the author has no rival in power to enlist the imagination and carry it along natural, healthful lines. The power of his tales to charm and elevate runs like a living thread through whatever he writes. A few children's authors will be ranked among the Immortals, and Hans Andersen is one of them. The text of the present edition is a reprint of an earlier one which was based upon a sentence-by-sentence comparison of the four or five translations current in Europe and America. It has been widely commended as enjoyable reading, while faithful to the letter and spirit of the Danish original. The order of the selections adapts the reading to the growing child should be sufficiently easy for children of about eight or nine years old.

Genres: Fairy Tales

88 pages, Paperback

Published January 17, 2015

About the author

Hans Christian Andersen (often referred to in Scandinavia as H.C. Andersen) was a Danish author and poet. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales. Andersen's popularity is not limited to children; his stories — called eventyr, or "fairy-tales" — express themes that transcend age and nationality.

Andersen's fairy tales, which have been translated into more than 125 languages, have become culturally embedded in the West's collective consciousness, readily accessible to children, but presenting lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity for mature readers as well. Some of his most famous fairy tales include "The Little Mermaid", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Nightingale", "The Emperor's New Clothes" and many more. His stories have inspired plays, ballets, and both live-action and animated films.

Reviews

[Marcene McClenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review is for the little fir tree. It was a very thought provoking book, it definitely took my 5 year old by surprise and I was a little concerned for how she would handle the end of the story. Totally went right over my 4 year old’s head. My 5 year old felt the the surprise and emotions, but didn’t register the moral lesson w/out explanation. It was a good lesson, that I feel reflects in story some of the points Solomon makes in Ecclesiastes. That being said my family needed a fluffy story afterward.

[Federico · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Christmas Fairy Tales - Hans Christian Andersen → ☆☆☆]

Raccolta di fiabe abbastanza classiche a tema invernale più che natalizio. Vorrei leggere una raccolta integrale per farmi un'idea più precisa degli scritti di Andersen che viene considerato un autore fondativo per la letteratura danese, anche se nell'immaginario collettivo è un 'autore di favole per bambini'. Confido di trovare fiabe con diversi livelli di lettura che in questo caso non ho riscontrato.

[Katherine B · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5*

Lovely. Not as christmas-y as I would have thought, but cosy nonetheless.

All the stories are excellent, some very sad. I loved the underlying meaning of the stories- not overly moralistic, more philosophic. Makes you think.

Quick read but a lovely addition to my bookcase. Good fairy tales are enjoyable for child and adult alike. Would recommend. My personal favourite is The goblin and the grocer.

[Flavia [Brynhildr] · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Come mai la vostra generazione è cresciuta piena di traumi?”

Le favole che ci leggevano da piccoli: LA PICCOLA FIAMMIFERAIA

Comunque fiabe molto belle da leggere e rileggere per scoprire sempre nuovi livelli di lettura e di significato!

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small collection of Christmas fairy tales. All have a dark side to them so not the most uplifting Christmas tales. Still they are a nice collection. I would rate it 2.5/5.

[Charley]

My favourite story was "Twelve by the mail coach".