For Rosie from Robin and Marina

This is a stunning collection of classic fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen, illustrated by internationally acclaimed artist Lisbeth Zwerger .A collection of eleven of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tales, including the Princess and the Pea, Thumbeline, and The Emperor’s New Clothes ( )

The illustrations fit the stories in this book so beautifully. I have always loved the stories of Hans Christian Andersen and loved reading new ones that I had not yet heard of. ( )

Originally published in 1991, and containing eight tales, Lisbeth Zerger's Andersen anthology was reprinted in 2001, in an expanded edition containing eleven tales. That later version was again reprinted, in 2006, in honor of Hans Christian Andersen’s 200th birthday. The edition available at my library however, and the one I am reviewing, is the one from 1991.

Lisbeth Zwerger - whose many picture-book interpretations of Hans Christian Andersen include The Little Mermaid, The Nightingale, and Thumbeline - turns her attention to the larger collection in this delightful anthology, which contains a mix of better and lesser-known tales. Amongst the former are selections such as The Emperor's New Clothes, in which a vain, fashion-conscious ruler is taken in by two charlatans, and The Princess and the Pea, which sees a young woman proving her royalty in an unusual way. Also in this category are The Tinderbox, that tale of a poor soldier whose fortunes are transformed by a magical tinderbox, and The Little Match Girl, a tragic tale of a young girl who freezes to death one cold New Year's Eve.

The lesser-known tales include: The Rose Tree Regiment, in which leaf-lice demand to be known by another name; The Naughty Boy, in which the misdeeds of Cupid are recorded; and The Jumpers, in which a flea, grasshopper, and jumping jack compete for the hand of a princess. The eighth selection, which also happens to come first, is the wonderful Sandman, which chronicles the seven nights of dreams the Sandman brings to young Hjalmar. This was undoubtedly my favorite tale, of the lot, and I was simply delighted to see it included!

With an unusually tall format, plenty of white space on each page, and one or two gorgeous illustrations per story, this collection is immensely attractive: well laid-out, and visually engaging. The paintings themselves have Zwerger's characteristic sense of sly humor, and emotional depth. I have not looked at the expanded edition, but imagine that it is just as appealing. Well worth the time of any Andersen devotee, as well as Lisbeth Zwerger fans! ( )

Lisbeth Zwerger's illustrations are so absolutely right for these stories, so in tune with Andersen's world, that it's hard to bother with any of the other hundreds of editions of his work.