The Snow Queen

When Kai is cursed by a magic mirror, he can no longer perceive goodness in anything - not his best friend Gerda, nor the roses in the garden. One wintery evening, he is kidnapped by the wicked Snow Queen and swept away to live for ever in her kingdom of ice.

Friendless and shoe-less, Gerda must travel through inhospitable lands, with only crows to guide her and bandits for company, in order to find her beloved friend. And when she gets there, how will she melt the ice in his heart?

Nearly two centuries after its first publication, The Snow Queen endures as a tale of love and loss, good and evil, and loyalty in the face of great hardships.

Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) is one of the best-loved tellers of fairy tales. He was born in Odense, Denmark, the son of a shoemaker. Despite the poverty of his early life he became a short-story writer, novelist and playwright. He is best known for his fairy tales, which were published between 1835 and 1872, and include The Red Shoes, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling.

Translated from the Danish by Misha Hoekstra. Misha has won several awards for his literary translations. He lives in Aarhus, where he works as a freelance writer and translator, in addition to writing and performing songs under the name Minka Hoist.

Lucie Arnoux is a keen storyteller, who likes to spend a lot of time on her illustrations, and in her illustrations. Originally from France, she graduated from Kingston University in Illustration & Animation. She has also illustrated In Their Shoes, published by Pushkin Children's.