HIS FAIRYTALE LIFE: A BOOK ABOUT HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN, by Jane Yolen, Brooke Boynton-Hughes, Neal Porter Books, April 1, 2025, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 4-8)
Learn about the life of the father of the modern fairy tale in His Fairytale Life: A Book About Hans Christian Andersen, by Jane Yolen and Brooke Boynton-Hughes.
A century and a half have passed since Hans Christan Andersen’s death, but his stories are more alive than ever. Across languages, borders, and disciplines, his timeless creations have left a footprint beyond measuring. Now, come along back to the beginning and meet the human that came before the legend.
He was a boy
who lived with a mother
who could not read,
but remembered every fairy tale
she’d been told…
—Synopsis provided by Neal Porter Books
His Fairytale Life: A Book About Hans Christian Andersen is a gentle biography told through Jane Yolen’s poetic prose. Yolen’s ability to condense Andersen’s life into a few short lines while still hitting on the high points is to be commended. Her more detailed biography at the end fleshes out the book, but it still works without it.
Artist Brooke Boynton-Hughes’s watercolor, graphite, pen and ink illustrations are wonderfully imaginative and full of detail. Her use of mostly pastel colors punctuated with a touch of vibrant red draws the eye to important areas.
His Fairytale Life: A Book About Hans Christian Andersen is a lovely read.
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