The Emperor's New Clothes

Hans Christian Andersen. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), $6.95 (44pp) ISBN 978-0-618-34420-8

Virginia Lee Burton (best known for her Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel) reimagines Hans Christian Andersen's ageless story of over-the-top vanity in The Emperor's New Clothes. Burton's 1949 illustrations, re-photographed for this reissue, highlight the artist's vivid watercolor palette within detailed, sharply defined ink drawings. The ornately costumed, stiffly posed figures and swirling curlicues around the text set up a formal yet deliciously wry tone.

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