Tales of Hans Christian Andersen

A handful of fall books invite youngsters to gather 'round. Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, trans. by Naomi Lewis, illus. by Joel Stewart, reads like an ode to the writer himself. Lewis gives readers a brief history of the author's life and career, then introduces each of the included 13 stories with details older readers will relish, including first publication date, musings from Andersen about the writing of the tales, and the stories' place in fairy tale history. Stewart models his story openers on the toy theatre so intrinsic to the author's childhood, and full-bleed, full-page dramatic paintings sit alongside whimsical spot illustrations that add flair to each page. A few of the included tales are The Snow Queen, The Little Mermaid and The Goblin at the Grocer's. Collectors and fans of Andersen's work will not want to overlook this anthology. .