Hans Christian Andersen is one of the world's most popular storytellers, and his fairy tales are among the best[ loved works of literature. Readers the world over know his poignant tale of "The Little Mermaid", who sacrifices everything for love, and "The Steadfast Tin Soldier", whose affection for a paper ballerina is symbolized by his transformation into a small tin heart. Several of Andersen's stories are so well known -among them "The Emperor's New Clothes" and "The Ugly Duckling"- that their titles alone have become meaningful figures of speech. Hans Christian Andersen: Best-Loved Fairy Tales collects one hundred of Andersen's incomparable fairy tales and stories, among them "Thumbelina", "The Little Match Girl", "The Princess and the Pea", "The Red Shoes", "The Wild Swans", and his fantasy masterpiece "The Snow-Queen". Full of laughter, love, and longing, and ranging from the whimsical to the wistful, the stories in this volume are testaments to a master storyteller unrivaled in his talent to entertain and enlighten readers. Hans Christian Andersen: Best-Loved Fairy Tales is abundantly illustrated with more than one hundred drawings by Dugald Stewart Walker and Hans Tegner, two of Andersen's best-known illustrators. Their artwork helps to illuminate stories that still stir emotions and warm hearts more than a century after they were written.
Author
Hans Christian Andersen (often referred to in Scandinavia as H.C. Andersen) was a Danish author and poet. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales. Andersen's popularity is not limited to children; his stories—called eventyr, or "fairy-tales" — express themes that transcend age and nationality. Andersen's fairy tales, which have been translated into more than 125 languages, have become culturally embedded in the West's collective consciousness, readily accessible to children, but presenting lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity for mature readers as well. Some of his most famous fairy tales include "The Little Mermaid", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Nightingale", "The Emperor's New Clothes" and many more. His stories have inspired plays, ballets, and both live-action and animated films.
