Hans Christian Andersen: His Fairy Tale Life

Grade 5-8–Most of this book describes Andersen's childhood and belated schooling, showing his poverty and the grief he experienced over the death of his beloved father, as well as several horrifying events such as being forced by a teacher to witness the beheading of three young people. Although he was an unattractive outsider, often ill, and made fun of by his schoolmates, Andersen was raised listening to stories and participating in the superstitious rituals his mother believed in. In spite of his weaknesses, he had absolute confidence that he would eventually be famous. The biography is divided into 11 chapters, set up as if they were stories, introduced in the style children may recognize from its use in Winnie-the-Pooh (In which we hear about…). Enough dialogue is included to provide a natural feel to the narrative. The writing flows smoothly, with many details provided to help students picture the places and events. Brøgger's haunting, mixed-media illustrations add to the somber and at times surreal feeling of the text. Done in a childlike style, ghosts, demons, and fears are revealed through the dark tones, and Andersen is portrayed as long-nosed and faintly ridiculous. Andersen's bicentennial is a fine occasion for an author study, and older students will appreciate that Varmer and Brøgger handle the writer's difficult life without romanticizing it. Jane Yolen's more poetic and upbeat The Perfect Wizard (Dutton, 2005) also helps slightly younger students to see the connections between Andersen's life and his stories.–Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie
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Varmer's lively biography was first published in Denmark in 2001. The writing is direct and vivid, telling the life story that Andersen himself called a fairy tale, and for good reason. He lived in poverty as a child, though a fortune-teller predicted that he would become a great man. Despite enduring many physical and emotional trials in order to pursue his art, he finally achieved worldwide acclaim. Brogger illuminates nearly every page of this well-designed, large-format book with artwork that makes great use of paintings, drawings, cut paper, prints, and occasionally photos. According to the publisher's information, Andersen himself created some of the drawings and scissor-cut paper images that the illustrator incorporated into her varied and expressive artwork. Though no source notes are appended, the volume ends with short lists of recommended books, from Andersen's autobiography to recent translations of his stories to biographies written for young people. Informative, handsome, and readable. Carolyn Phelan
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