The
Fir Tree
By
Hans Christian Anderson
Illustrated
by Sanna Annukka
Age Range: 4 - 8 years
Grade Level: Preschool - 3
Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: Ten Speed Press (October 4, 2016)
ISBN-10: 039957848X
ISBN-13: 978-0399578489
Publisher’s Blurb:
Hans Christian Andersen's tragic tale of naive greed and
dissatisfaction is retold through the beautiful and intricate illustrations of
Finnish illustrator Sanna Annukka. Cloth-bound in rich forest green, with gold
foil embellishments, The Fir Tree is a unique work of art.
Sanna Annukka is familiar to many from her collaborations with Marimekko and
her artwork for Keane's album, Under the Iron Sea. For her first book
project, she illustrates Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tale, The
Fir Tree. A beautiful gift to give and receive.
The
Snow Queen
By
Hans Christian Anderson
Illustrated
by Sanna Annukka
Publisher: Ten Speed Press (October 4, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399578501
ISBN-13: 978-0399578502
Publisher’s Blurb:
Hans Christian Andersen's magical tale of friendship and adventure is
retold through the beautiful and intricate illustrations of Finnish illustrator
Sanna Annukka. Cloth-bound in deep blue, with silver foil embellishments, The
Snow Queen is elevated from a children's book to a unique work of art. It
is an ideal gift for people of all ages.
My Thoughts:
These are not Disney tales. Anderson’s tales were often moral warnings
and don’t always have happy endings. In fact, The Snow Queen is only barely recognizable as the tale that became
Disney’s Frozen.
That said, the ethnic Finnish illustrations add a charm to Anderson’s
tales. Just don’t go into this expecting everything to be sunshine and
lollipops. Any time your protagonist (The
Fir Tree) ends up as kindling, you know that. Gerda’s travels in rescuing
Kay (The Snow Queen) have their
detours and sidetracks which are not always lovely.
The tales have definite and fairly overt morals to them—something modern
readers may not be accustomed to.
In the end, these really aren’t tales for modern children, but small
sermons.
Possible Objectionable Material:
Sad experiences. Mention of God, angels, and Jesus. If you are not a
believer, this could potentially be a problem for you. People are killed—rather
pointlessly, but not at all graphically. The little robber girl Gerda meets is
kind of scary. Someone drinks until she falls asleep. A parent “thumps” a
child, “out of love”.
Who Might Like This Book:
Lovers of classic children’s and fairytales. Not necessarily children,
as the narratives are not fast-moving or particularly exciting.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARCs.
