“As a parent, I know that reading with your child is an important part of their mental and emotional development,” said Mrs. Blagojevich. “I started this program to encourage parents to read with their children, and I hope our recommended reading list helps parents find books that the whole family can enjoy.”

Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales
by Hans Christian Andersen

Book Description:

Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairy Tales are like exquisite jewels, drawing from us gasps of recognition and delight. Andersen created intriguing and unique characters — a tin soldier with only one leg but a big heart, a beetle nestled deep in a horse’s mane but harboring high aspirations. Each one of us at some time, has been touched by one of Andersen’s Fairy Tales. Here you’ll find his classic tales such as: The Wild Swans, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Ugly Duckling, and Thumbelina. Charming color illustrations in this gorgeous volume bring the classic stories of Hans Christian Andersen to life.

Author Biography:

Hans Christian Andersen (1805—75) was born in Odense, Denmark, the son of a poor shoemaker, who nonetheless was a great reader, made a toy-theatre for his son and taught him to notice every natural wonder as they walked in the woods together on Sundays. His father died when he was eleven, and it wasn't until six years later that, with the help of a patron, he finally went to a state secondary school attended by much younger children. There he suffered at the hands of a cruel headmaster, but he acquired an education and was determined to be a writer. He published his first novel and his first fairy tales in 1835; thereafter he wrote over 150 more of these stories which have become classics in many languages.

A lonely man who never married, he was also an anxious man; he loved traveling, but would carry a coil of rope with him in case of fire in his hotel. Although he originally addressed his fairy tales to children (and some would maintain he had a streak of childhood in his nature) he insisted they were 'for all ages', and the gentleness and humor that are their characteristics are recognized by everyone.

Additional Information:

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Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission from Random House, Inc. 1745 Broadway, New York, New York 10019.