The Snow Queen

by Christian Birmingham (Illustrator), Naomi Lewis (Adaptation), Hans Christian Andersen

When Kay is snatched from his home by the beautiful, cruel Snow Queen, his friend Gerda sets out on an epic journey to rescue him. As she searches, she encounters a series of strangers to whom she tells her tale. Charmed by her story and her innocence, each of them helps Gerda, so that, at last, she is able to find the Snow Queen's icy palace. But, at the end of her epic journey, will she manage to set Kay free?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Classics, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Magic

64 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2007

About the author

Christian Birmingham is a British illustrator and artist who has worked with children's writers including the Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo, on books including Whitbread Children's Book of the Year The Wreck of the Zanzibar and Smarties Prize winner The Butterfly Lion. He was also shortlisted for the Kurt Maschler Award and Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration.
Birmingham graduated from Exeter College of Art and Design in 1991 with a first-class honours degree in Graphic Design (illustration). He won his first book illustration contract soon after leaving college and has since worked with major British and American publishers on titles including the centenary picturebook edition of C.S. Lewis's The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and Clement C. Moore's classic poem The Night Before Christmas (which has sold more than 1.5 million copies). He has also illustrated two sets of Royal Mail special stamps, to commemorate 100 years of the Rugby league and the centenary of the birth of children's author Enid Blyton.
Christian's illustration artwork has been shown at the Australian High Commission, to celebrate the publication of Wombat Goes Walkabout, and at the Air Gallery in Mayfair and Mall Galleries in Westminster, London in exhibitions hosted by Books Illustrated Ltd in December 2007 and 2009 to celebrate the publication of The Snow Queen and The Little Mermaid. His landscape artwork has been exhibited at the Royal Society of Marine Artists, Pastel Society and New English Art Club annual exhibitions.

Reviews

[Lesle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Snow Queen is a fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen, first published in 1845. It is a tale that centers on the struggle of good and evil as experienced by a little boy and girl, Kai and Gerda. The tale is told in seven stories that weave together, and it is one of Andersen’s longest fairy tales.
Heart of this story lies a deep and beautiful tale, about saving and sacrifice. Well written and a must read!

A re-read. Just as enjoyable as the first time!

[Simona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5+/5

În vale, sălbatic crește trandafirul;
Iar copiii se joacă întreaga zi -
Și printre ei, Iisul copilul.

Dacă până acum nu ați reținut că îmi plac cărțile pentru copii, ei bine, reîntăresc aceast detaliu! :-) Am avut norocul de a facere o alegere de milioane în această perioadă prin lecturarea cărții Crăiasa-Zăpezii de Hans Christian Andersen, apărută la Editura Arthur. Sunt extrem de fericită pentru că am citit această carte minunată care a intrat deja în topul favoritelor mele!

Sunt sigură că știu, din filme sau desene, numeroase basme scrise de Hans Christian Andersen, însă nu cred că am citit prea multe dintre poveștile lui (sau cel puțin nu îmi aduc aminte). Crăiasa-Zăpezii a fost o poveste încântătoare, despre o fetiță și un băiat care sunt extrem de buni prieteni, aproape ca frații.

Băiatul, pe nume Kay, își va schimba brusc personalitatea de copil bun, lucru datorat unei oglinzi magice care ne este prezentată în primul capitol, o oglindă menită să arate urâțenia acolo unde nu există.

Cum îl va afecta oglinda pe Kay nu vă voi spune (dar este o teorie extrem de interesantă care ar putea explica de ce unii oameni nu văd frumusețea sau au inimile reci), lăsându-vă pe voi să aflați!



Autorul m-a purtat într-un mod magic în călătoria fetiței pe nume Gerda, călătorie menită pentru a-l aduce pe Kay înapoi alături de ea. Drumul ei cu peripeții este unul fascinant, plin de numeroase momente care parcă erau menite să fie prezente pentru a încânta sufletul cititorului!

M-am îndrăgostit de această poveste și am apreciat extrem de mult ilustrațiile minunate din această carte care arată superb! Coperta, din câte ați sesizat, este cartonată și este învelită cu o supracopertă semi-transparentă, acoperită pe alocuri de niște fulgi de nea care sclipesc în tonuri aurii, în funcție de cum este reflectată lumina. :-)



Personajele pe care autorul le-a creat mi-au plăcut, m-au încântat, și a fost interesant să văd cum lumea oamenilor, a animalelor și a plantelor s-a îmbinat, creând un tot unitar fantastic.

Cred că această carte este una dintre acele cărți care poate fi citită în orice perioadă a anului, dar simt că iarna ar putea prinde și mai mult farmec, încălzindu-ți sufletul atunci când afară ninge și este frig.

În timpul lecturii am ales să pun pe fundal soundtrack-ul din jocul Ori and The Blind Forest, un soundtrack care s-a portivit de minune cu magia acestei cărți! ^_^

Voi ce recomandări de cărți pentru copii aveți? Fie ele în ton cu anotimpul iarna sau nu. Aștept cu nerăbdare să aud ce basme v-au încântat de-a lungul timpului. :-)











Citate:

"Desigur, iarna, copiii nu aveau voie să stea pe acoperiș. Geamurile erau deseori acoperite de gheață, dar cei doi copii puneau o monedă pe sobă să se încălzească și apoi o lipeau de fereastra înghețată. Astfel făceau un mic vizor de toată frumusețea. În spatele fiecărei găuri rotunde se afla un ochi mic senin și prietenos, câte unul la fiecare fereastră. Aceștia erau ochii fetiței și ai băiețelului; numele lui era Kay și numele ei era Gerda." (p.9)

"Fulgii de zăpadă se făceau tot mai mari și mai mari, până când arătau ca niște păsări mari, albe. Deodată se înclinară într-o parte; sania se opri și persoana din sanie se ridică. Mantia și căciula din blană albă erau de zăpadă și persoana... ah, era o doamnă înaltă și subțire, de un alb uimitor! Era însăși Crăiasa-Zăpezii!" (p.15)

"- Și totuși am senzația ca ne urmărește cineva, spuse Gerda.
Și într-adevăr, ceva părea să treacă pe lângă ea; erau mai multe umbre pe perete, cai cu picioare subțiri și coame fluturând în vânt, vânători, domni și domnițe călare pe cai.
- Acelea sunt doar vise, spuse blând corbul. Vin și iau gândurile oamenilor de rând pentru o plimbare în miez de noapte și acesta este un lucru bun, pentru că vei putea să îi observi mai bine atunci când dorm. Dar sper ca vei fi milostivă de vei ajunge la putere." (p.35)

[Tarissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wintry fairy-tale, written by the time-honored Hans Christian Andersen.

Fans of Frozen may enjoy it, although the story is quite different from the movie. Personally, I also found resemblances to C.S. Lewis's The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe -- especially Edmund's encounter with the White Witch has similar spiritual similarities.

A excellent, classic children's story -- to be enjoyed by all.

[Arlenis Ralfsdóttir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un pequeño cuento de esos que siempre te relatan tus padres o abuelos cuando eres un niño. Muy lindo sin duda y con una gran enseñanza. Entretenido como casi todos los cuentos de Andersen.

[eb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. some of the drawings were lovely, but the re-telling itself was hamfisted and went off on ridiculous tangents. All sorts of useless storylines and characters! And the moment at the end when Gerda finally liberates Kay from the Ice Queen's palace comes without conflict at all. The Ice Queen is gone, and the two of them just leave after their tears wash away the shards of glass that were stuck in Kay's eye and heart-- no one even puts up a fight.

Honestly, the most interesting aspect of the whole story was the prologue, where we learn about the terrible mirror the devil wrought, which made anyone who looked into it see the worst about every situation. I loved that story-- the idea that this mirror broke into millions of shards and lodged in many people, changing their perspective, is the kind of invention that makes fairy tales interesting. But you're supposed to do something with that original explanation; something that loops back around and rewards readers for paying attention and carrying that detail with them.

This particular re-telling throws quite a lot of detail into the pot, but none of it bears any weight on the central "conflict" when all is said and done. It's a waste to read that stuff, and it's a waste to the story itself because it detracts.

[Reixma · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a quick little book aimed at younger readers.
This I got from a sale, and I got it because it is supposed to be the inspiration for The Chronicles of Narnia. It's written in an older English so comes across whimsical. It also has references to Christianity in the story buy its not Christian focused.

Does give a good, child-friendly alternative as to why people see things in a bad way and what happens if you let your heart forget what kindness is.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kay and Gerda are best friends living in a magical world inhabited by a Snow Queen. When Kay’s heart is pierced by a splinter from an enchanted mirror, he is suddenly unable to see the good in anyone. Shortly thereafter, he is kidnapped by the Snow Queen and carried away from his best friend. Little Gerda then takes off on a mission to bring Kay back home, encountering royalty, talking flowers, and highway robbers on her adventure.

So this past weekend, I was finishing up a few books when I realized that I had not opened a classic all month, and as part of my classics challenge, I’m supposed to be reading AT LEAST one classic a month. I was sitting at work and looking for a quick classic to read over a day or two (which is horrible, I shouldn’t be doing this for a quick read), and I stumbled upon Anna Karenina, which I started and really really liked, only, of course, at close to 1000 pages, it wasn’t going to be the quick read I was looking for. So I read a bit of that and then started listening to The Snow Queen while finishing up some work.

The Snow Queen was an enchanting read about the power of friendship and love and definitely did not feel 150 years old. There were a lot of thinly-veiled religious references, though, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and I don’t think it will be a book that sticks out in my memory as a particularly life-changing one. It is a winter classic that I will likely revisit one day, though, maybe with children, as that is its intended audience

[Anna Kļaviņa · Rating 3 out of 5]

has very beautiful illustrations but is not as good adapted/translated as this one. is superior when it comes to the translation.

is short retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uskomattoman kauniisti kuvitettu klassikkoteos! Lumikuningatar salpaa edelleen allekirjoittaneen hengityksen jokaisella lukukerralla. Tämän teoksen parasta antia on kuitenkin upea kuvitus, jota ottaisin minä hetkenä hyvänsä kotimme seinille koristamaan talvea.
Uskonnollinen sointi oli virkistävä tuulahdus menneisyydestä, nykykirjallisuudessa tunnutaan välttelevän tällaisia vivahteita kovasti.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nice edition is re-told by Naomi Lewis, illustrated by Christian Birmingham. What Gregory Maguire did for the Wicked Witch of the West, Disney did for the Snow Queen. As much as we might enjoy these alternative perspectives on classic stories, it's still worthwhile to read the originals. Young Gerda is strong, brave, and determined to find her lost friend Kay.

[Dani 🌙 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the images! Really, really beautiful drawings. I found that there was very minimal focus on the Snow Queen herself, which disappointed me, but overall I thought it was lovely. (:

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story; LOVE the illustrations! Appropriate that I read it on a snow day! ;)

[Mads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful classic children’s winter story. Good pace, great characters and lots of adventures blended well together.

[Nannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahh, this has always been my favorite fairy tale as a kid (besides East of the Sun, West of the Moon -- which might have been an inspiration for Andersen's The Snow Queen. There's a lot to be said about that, but that's a whole other analysis).

The imagery here is always so fantastic and stunning in a way other fairy tales tend to fall flat. The mirror that shatters into glittering shards, the blinding scenery of Lapland, and the witch's sickly-sweet and rainbow-colored garden ... I think it all kind of defined me growing up as a reader and a writer when it came to taste and style.

The Snow Queen is also one the only fairy tales to feature all the important characters -- as well as the protagonist -- as women. And they're not just lifeless cardboard cutouts; they all have life and distinct character. The kind and gentle witch who keeps Gerda because she wants company, the robber girl who's not really so bad as she seems at first (and who could have novels dedicated just to her, to be honest), and the Snow Queen herself, who in the end, was completely fair.

This translation is a lot different than others I've read. No less beautiful, but it's a little more direct and the dialogue a bit stilted. A lot more Christian as well ... or maybe that's just my memory ... In any case, the message here is very Christian (like many old fairy tales), and this version -- I think -- is also a lot sweeter than others. The illustrations are so detailed and lovely, though the human anatomy is stretched in the faces sometimes.

Everyone has their own interpretation of this story, from reading it as is (a brave girl rescuing her friend), from Gerda going into the land of Death itself to rescue Kay (who had actually died from the Snow Queen's kiss, with the language referencing children who froze to death), to a story representing the four seasons. Personally, I see it in a more mythological way, with Kay being almost like (a god/representative of) Spring being taken away by a representative Winter (the Snow Queen), and then in the end returns to bring Spring back to the land.

Kay originally is an emotional boy -- who then once the shards make homes in his eye and heart, becomes more rational, taking a liking to mathematics and arithmetic. When the Snow Queen takes him away, she also tries to teach him rational ways of thinking. It’s very different to the way Kay and definitely Gerda used to be, who are/were much more feeling people. And when Gerda rescues him, she returns to him love and feeling, much more befitting a representative of Spring.

And the Snow Queen, the “villain” of the novel, isn’t quite as evil as I remember thinking as a kid (isn’t that the way things usually are when you grow up, though?). Winter is impartial, and it’s harsh, but it’s not inherently evil (nature doesn’t know/define a difference between good and evil). And here in the novel, the Snow Queen gives Kay a riddle. If he solves it (spells the word “Eternity”), he’ll become his own master and will get his freedom. When Gerda rescues him and helps him solve it, the Snow Queen keeps her promise. She never pursues him, never curses him, etc. Winter is harsh, but not unfair.

And then Spring returns to the land after a harsh winter.

So I guess my interpretation of this overt Christian fairy tale is a slightly pre-Christian one. But I think however you interpret The Snow Queen, what really matters is what connection you have to it. And there’s no doubt that a lot of people have connected to it. It’s lasted a long time, and I think it’ll continue to do so.

[Dawn Tessman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fairy tale of little Gerda and little Kay and how they must overcome the curse of a wretched hobgoblin and escape the Snow Queen. (Note: How this story became the inspiration for Disney’s, Frozen is hard to discern when similarities are narrowed to a pair of sibling-like characters, a reindeer, and some foul weather, which may disappoint readers who loved the adaptation and are now interested in reading the original story.) That aside, as one may expect from a fairy tale, this version is filled with moral lessons (good vs. evil, intellect vs. beauty, etc.), vivid settings, and highly imaginative moments (e.g., the origin of evil among man, talking flowers, or how an army of helmeted angels is conjured up to save young Gerda as she speaks the Lord’s Prayer). Additionally, Andersen covers the theme of science vs. religion, with his opinion made abundantly clear when little Kay’s mathematics and reasoning skills are no match to little Gerda’s innocence, love, and use of prayer when seeking “Eternity.” Sadly, evil is not vanquished in this fairy tale; rather, it is merely skirted, leaving the fairy-tale reader feeling a bit incredulous at the lack of punishment due the story’s wrong-doers. On the plus side, however, the Naomi Lewis/Christian Birmingham edition is so beautifully-illustrated, any defects in the tale or translation are forgiven.

[anca dc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fata cu parul de nuca a intrat de-a binelea in inima ei de copil, s-a asezat confortabil in fotoliul de linga soba si s-a lasat purtata inca o data pe tarimurile fermecate colindate de Gerda pentru salvarea bunului ei prieten, Kay. Ilustratiile deosebit de frumoase i-au intregit pe deplin firul povestii minunate si astfel, a colindat, a tresarit, a visat, a gasit calea spre palatul Craiesei-Zapezii. Si a plins, a plins, a plins pina cind s-a topit gheata din inima prietenului ei...

Intrara in oras si urcara scarile de la casa bunicii si mersera in camera lor de sub acoperis, unde totul era ca si inainte si ceasul continua sa zica ‘Tic-Tac!’, iar limbile sale aratau orele. Dar cind intrara pe usa isi dadura seama ca ei insisi crescusera; nu mai erau niste copilasi. Trandafirii din cutiile de lemn infloreau linga fereastra deschisa si tot acolo erau si scaunelele lor de lemn. Kay si Gerda se asezara pe ele si se luara de maini. Splendoarea rece si teribila a palatului Craiesei-Zapezii disparuse cu totul din mintile lor ca un vis de demult. Bunica se aseza linga ei, sub soarele ceresc si le citi din Biblie. ‘Daca nu va veti intoarce la Dumnezeu si nu va veti face ca niste copilasi, cu nici un chip nu veti intra in imparatia lui Dumnezeu.’

[Gabriel Wallis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found "The Snow Queen" to be a delightful story. I couldn't recall if I've read it before. Maybe I read it in the 1st or 2nd grade... I don't know. My wife knew all about the story from a movie she watched sometime in the past, and my brother remembered reading one of the many variants in his past. The reason I read the book: I heard that Disney is in the process of making an animated movie of the story. I usually end up reading a book after a story has been made into a movie. This year, I thought I would jump ahead and read the book before the movie came out. So, I read "The Snow Queen". It was good, and I really enjoyed it. And it was a simple story... nothing complex. The art in the book was amazing too. When I was reading the story, I felt like a child would, mesmerized, and stared at the illustrations before turning the page. I recommend it.

[Lisa Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just took one look at this cover and knew that this classic fable would be wonderful. The illustrations were some of the most breathtaking and fanciful that I have ever seen in a children's book. I was swept away by the pictures and by the classic Hans Christian Andersen story that was retold by Naomi Lewis. This book would be too long and intense of the younger child, but older children would love the battle between good and bad and how love and good always prevail. The pictures and words used throughout the book are inspiring and full of magic. I had never read this before and I was always excited about what mighty adventure would happen next. I truely enjoyed this book from beginning to end!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hans Christian Anderson is a bit strange at times - like the Grimms. But I love fairy tales and I really enjoyed this. It is quite long for a picture book. The pictures are outstanding - beautiful drawings using pastel. I had seen Christian Birmingham's work before and enjoyed it. It really suits this story. With all the intense interest in Disney's 'Frozen', I wanted to go back to read the actual Snow Queen story, since they do give it credit as being the base from which they wrote the 'Frozen' script. When I was little there was a movie of The Snow Queen, and I found that that script completely followed the fairy tale. I think kids who have seen Frozen would really enjoy reading this book to go along with the movie.

[Phil Villarreal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm surprised crack cocaine didn't exist in the days of Hans Christian Andersen, because he seems to have partaken while he was writing this. I have read some freaky old-time children's tales, so it's tough to shake me. But this one managed to do it by getting really weird and disturbing from the outset, then slamming hard on the gas and careening off the bridge and tumbling into a fireball of oblivion. We're talking magic mirror shards that get lodged in your skin to give you superpowers, talking dolls and -- not joking -- the recurring sidekick character Baby Jesus. This story is said to be the basis of Frozen, but very little of this grease fire besides the snowy setting made it into the movie. That is for the best.

[Richelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my kids because I've always liked the story of the snow queen. They aren't old enough for the Narnia books yet, but the snow queen sets the stage for them to enjoy it in the future. Parts of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe surely are inspired by this fairy tale. A young boy is deceived and held captive by the evil Snow Queen and the heroine going to rescue him is a child, a girl named Gerda. This book is longer than a picture book, but shorter than a chapter book. I liked this version because the illustrations are amazing. I'm going to look for more books done with this illustrator.

[Bruce Nordstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw the new Disney animated film, "Frozen," and read in the final credits it said, based on...." And to make a long story short, I did not recognize Hans Christian Anderson's "Snow Queen," from the movie. So I read the story again.

I have to say this book is an excellent re-telling of "Snow Queen." Loved the illustrations, which add a great new dimension to the story. Just the sort of book my kids used to love when I read them out loud to them.

Just do not make the mistake of comparing this story with the Disney movie. You will only make yourself nuts.

[Meltha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one keeps the full text (translated, of course) of Anderson, but the illustrations are just gorgeous. Definitely worth reading.

Okay, and apparently EVERY edition of The Snow Queen with various illustrations is relegated to the same file. Yeesh. Confusing much? The one above is for the version illustrated by Bernadette Watts and translated by Anthea Bell. I also looked at one illustrated by Naomi Lewis, which abridged the (admitted long for a fairy tale) text, and it is also very lovely.

[Emmy · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the artwork was absolutely beautiful, the story was really not my favorite. It felt somewhat all over the place, and events were a bit disjointed. From the bandit girl who tortures a reindeer and sleeps with a knife--but then randomly lets Gerda go out of the goodness of her heart, I guess (?) to the raven who straight up dies off-screen for NO reason whatsoever, I'm not really sure what Hans Christian Andersen was going for. It felt like he was writing this for a kid, and kept pulling his punches before things got too scary. But, I just couldn't get into the story at all.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all I appreciate Audible.com offering this as a free listen during this Christmas season! Not only that but it was timely with the big fame of Disney's "Frozen" all this year. While the stories are only loosely tied together, I was able to see a few elements here and there that appeared to have been borrowed from.

While I'm not a big fan of this kind of writing or storytelling, it was very well done and performed.

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A troll has an evil mirror that distorts everything it reflects, the mirror is broken into a million pieces and spread around the world, a snow queen, a lost boy Kai and a girl Gerda who goes looking for him, snowflakes that guard a palace makes for a delightful fairytale by Hans Christian Anderson from 1884 which recently inspired the film Frozen. So now I know the backstory to entertain all the children who saw that film.

So there you go.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read this story many times. I really appreciate Hans Christian Andersen's fairytales.
However, what captivated me about this particular version were Christian Birmingham's illustrations. They're stunningly beautiful (especially the titular character).
If Birmingham's illustrations had paired with a more abridged textual adaptation (Sorry Naomi C. Lewis), it would have received a 4 star rating.

[Aranza (grumpy version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never heard of this story before. It's basically pure winter and pure fairy tale too. I was surprisingly fond of the characters by the end of it all, too.

The thing that got me the most is how the hero is the female character. Coming from a short story written in the 1800s, that's no small thing. Is the girl the one who goes in a dangerous adventure to find her dearest friend, kidnapped by the Snow Queen. It's so nice.

[Raquel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a strange story, but what else can you expect from Hans Christian Andersen?! I love the fact that the story is Scandinavian and Sweden's Lappland is featured. I'm amused by all things Scandinavian at this point.

This particular edition is gorgeous. The illustrations and the clever self-cover and dust jacket design are breathtaking.

[Karyll Recio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disney's Frozen was said to be based from this story. That's what really got me into reading the book.
I might say that there are some similarities between those stories, but they are both quite enjoyable stories in their own way. And anyway, who says you're too old to read a fairytale book?