The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen

There are lots of compilations of Hans Christian Andersen stories out there. In my opinion, this Taschen compilation is one of the best for kids. I decided to buy this book because I already have the Taschen edition of Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. This book has lived up to what I've come to expect from Taschen: good translations, fabulous illustrations, good quality paper and (in my opinion), good binding. Also, this is important to note: I am reviewing the HARDCOVER version. I suspect that the paperback version is not the same book. This Taschen edition compiled by Noel Daniels contains the following stories: The Old Man is Always Right The Darning Needle (illustrated by Maurice Sendak) The Princess and the Pea The Farmyard Cock and the Weather Cock Twelve by Mail Coach The Nightingale The Little Mermaid The Steadfast Tin Soldier The Snowqueen The Swineheard The Emperor's New Clothes The Flea and the Professor Thumbelina Little Ida's Flowers The Tinderbox The Sweethearts Ole' Shut Eye Five Peas in a Pod The Ugly Duckling The Sheperdess and the Chimney Sweep (illustrated by Kay Nielson) The Flying Trunk The Little Match Girl The Tinderbox The Pen and the Inkstand *****AN EXCERPT FROM THIS BOOK***** One thing that I always want to know before I buy a book of fairy tales is how well it is translated. Unfortunately, at the time of my review, you can't see inside the Taschen edition. Here is an excerpt from the very beginning of the Snow Queen Story: "Now Then! We will begin. When the story is done, you shall know a great deal more than you do now. He was a terribly bad hobgoblin, a goblin of the very wickedest sort, and in fact, he was the Devil himself. One day, the Devil was in very good humor because he had just finished a mirror that had this very peculiar power: Everything good and beautiful that was reflected in it seemed to dwindle to almost nothing at all, while everything that was worthless and ugly became the most conspicuous and even uglier than ever. In the mirror, the loveliest landscape looked like boiled spinach....." ****COMPARISON OF THIS BOOK AND THE ANNOTATED HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON AND THE CALLA EDITION**** If you're looking into buying this edition, then you also might be considering the "Annotated Hans Christian Andersen" compiled by Marie Tatar or the Calla edition of Hans Christian Andersen. All three of these books are high quality publications with great illustrations and good bindings. However, I think they all serve different purposes. The books that I am comparing this to are the following: The Annotated Hans Christian Andersen (The Annotated Books) Stories from Hans Christian Andersen (Calla Editions) First off, let's take the Calla edition. I decided not to go with the Calla edition because the translation sounds more archaic to me. You can see for yourself. The excerpt that I quoted in this review can be directly compared to the Calla edition if you "look inside" the Calla edition. The illustrations by Edmund Dulac in the Calla edition are beautiful, though, and the binding and paper quality is probably even better than the Taschen edition. For me, the harder choice is between the "Annotated Hans Christian Andersen" and this Taschen edition, particularly because I like the both translations. Both of them have the important stories: The Emperor's New Clothes, The Snow Queen, The Princess and the Pea, The Nightingale, The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid, The Tinderbox, Thumbelina, the Little Match Girl, the Steadfast Tin Soldier and Ole Shut Eye and the Flying Trunk (which Tatar said was for adults). Unfortunately, there is one story that my kids love that is missing in the Taschen edition: The Wild Swans. You can find that one in the Annotated Hans Christian Andersen. However, the "Annotated Hans Christian Andersen" doesn't have Five Peas in a Pod and the Taschen edition does. The "Annotated Hans Christian Andersen" is aimed more at adults. While I do read out loud to the children from that book, I *do not* give it to them to read to themselves. It is divided into two sections: one for adults, and one for children, so some of the stories in there are inappropriate for children. Also, the "Annotated Hans Christian Andersen" devotes a lot of space to footnotes and annotations. *I* find it fascinating. *I* love to read the background and the insight. However, my children do not find it interesting. I think the illustrations in both books are beautiful, though I personally prefer the Taschen illustrations. The Taschen edition has a wider selection of artists, everything from Two Color Drawings by Katherine Beverly for the Snow Queen to Paper Cuts by Hertha List. There are artists that you might already know about like Maurice Sendak and Kay Nielson. My favorite artist was one that I had never heard of before: Heinrich Strub's watercolors for the Tinder Box. Also, out of three books that I'm mentioning, the Taschen edition seems to devote more space to illustrations. All in all, to me, the Taschen edition, with it's strong translation and bright, vibrant pictures, is the clear winner when you're buying Hans Christian Andersen stories for children.

I love this hard cover collection of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales for it's magnificent and varied illustrations, brilliant use of different artists' inspired representations of each story. While I have a copy, I sent out 2 more, one to my son and daughter-in-law for the expected grandchild, and one to my great nephew who has become a very proficient reader in his second grade class!

This beautifully bound story book featuring H.C. Andersen's famous fairy tales sent a wave of joy from my head to my toes when I lifted it from its packaging. The fairy tales bring back so many great memories. I intend to record my own readings of many of the stories and send them to my niece so that she can play them later on to my new born grand niece, Ivy, when she turns about five and can appreciate them more. The seller did a magnificent job packaging this masterpiece so that it arrived quickly in perfect condition.

When I took my granddaughters to see "Frozen" and told them that Hans Christian Andersen had written the story, they did not know who HCA was. I bought this book for my 12-year-old granddaughter and she has read many of the stories to her 6-year-old sister. The book is beautifully illustrated and the bio of HCA is very good.

The book is a great collection of classic fairytales paired with modern illustrations. I was thrilled to receive this. However, upon opening the package I found a white, unmarked sticker on the cloth cover that, upon removal, has left an unsightly rectangle of sticky residue. The book was sealed in a clear plastic pouch, so I’m not sure if this was the fault of the manufacturer or the seller. Hopefully Goo Gone will sort this out. Otherwise, it’s a good buy.

This is by far the best illustrated Andersen book! I purchased it for myself and for my friends. LOVED the illustrations. A must have book for any child!

I was after these fairy tales for my daughter. When the book arrived it surpassed my expectations. This is a volume that's been beautifully designed and elegantly presented. It's a book that I think will remain in our family for a long time. Highly recommended. - Elio Simonetti

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking” ― Albert Einstein I love this book . . and my new twin grand-daughters now each have a copy for their parents to read to them when they are older.

A beautiful illustrated book for kids from age 3up. An excellent gift item for kids.

Une très belle édition avec des illustrations provenant d'anciennes éditions. A mettre à côté du premier volume dédié aux Frères Grimm.

The book is of great quality and that combined with the fantastic stories makes it a must have for all ages!

Very nice book. Full collection of works from C. Andersen. Note: This is an older/original edition of the book. Edition that followed two years later has about 50% of stories included in original eddition. So, try to buy an original edition. Yes, it is twice as costly, but it has twice as many stories.

THIS IS A FABULOUSLY ILLUSTRATED BOOK ,AND EVEN IF THE INTENDED READER HAS READ THE STORIES BEFORE, IT IS STILL A WORTHWHILE BUY JUST FOR THE PLEASURE OF THE PICTURES.I PURCHASED THIS FOR MY GRANDCHILDREN HOPING THAT IT WILL STAY IN THE FAMILY AS A TREASURED ITEM FOR EVER.