Growing a Reader: Kids' Books, Tips and More

April 2, 2019 would have been Hans Christian Andersen’s 213th birthday! Andersen is Denmark’s best known Fairy Tale author, whose stories have been translated into every language around the world. Some of Andersen’s best known stories include The Little Mermaid, The Emperor’s New Clothes, and The Ugly Duckling. (Source: Britannica Library Database).

Hans Christian Andersen. Painted by Albert Küchler [Public domain]

Andersen may no longer be with us, but his stories have left an impression that has lasted throughout the ages. Folk and fairy tales of all kinds, and especially Andersen’s, teach their readers about morality and about good and evil. What makes Andersen’s stories stand out is that not every virtuous and moral character gets a happy ending: just like in real life, sometimes bad things happen to good people. While this is sad, it is something that we can all relate to on some level. Andersen’s fairy tales may not be exactly what you expect, but when you finish one of his stories it will leave you full of emotion: for better or worse.

The Little Mermaid Statue in Copenhagen. Photo Credit: ASSY on a CC License.

Another reason to expose your children to classic folk and fairy tales, like Andersen’s, is that references to these classic tales are all around us in popular culture. Straight retellings of fairy tales appear everywhere from children’s chapter books (eg, Whatever After)  to adult fiction (eg, The Ice Queen) to television shows (eg, Once Upon a Time). Jokes and references to folk and fairy tales appear all around us in popular culture. It could be a passing mention in a television show, or something as simple as calling someone a “princess” for their snobby behaviour. References to folk and fairy tales are everywhere and reading these stories to our children when they’re young is a fantastic way to help them understand these references as they grow up.

Picture Credit: Susannp4 on a CC License.

Here are some of my favourite renditions of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories. I could easily have named 50 books in this listing, but I’ll spare you that and share nine of some of the newest and loveliest.

Books with a Single Story:

The Chinese Emperor’s New Clothes by Ying Chang Compestine. A retelling of the Classic Andersen fairy tale The Emperor’s New Clothes.

The Little Match Girl by Jerry Pinkney. Jerry Pinkney is of the most beloved adapters of folk and fairy tales.

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. A beautifully illustrated version of this classic tale.

The Princess and the Pea by Rachel Isadora. A gorgeous retelling of the classic tale set in Africa.

The Snow Queen by Amy Ehrlich. With illustrations by beloved children’s author and artist Susan Jeffers.

Brave Thumbelina by An Leysen. A brand new re-telling of Thumbelina with beautiful illustrations.

The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen. A faithful retelling of the classic story.

Books with Multiple Stories:

Andersen: the Illustrated Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen by Hans Christian Andersen. A beautifully illustrated compilation of eleven classic Andersen tales.

The Land of Stories: a Treasury of Classic Fairy Tales by Chris Colfer. This compilation has over 30 fairy tales and nursery rhymes adapted by children’s favourite author Chris Colfer.

Please share some of your favourites in the comments!