Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales

Andersen's magic is in full force both for those familiar with his tales and for new listeners. This collection maintains Andersen's dark endings: the match girl freezes to death, and the toy soldier is melted by an uncaring child. Oscar winner Abraham's sonorous reading and relaxed pacing invite listeners to spend time in these classic stories, which include lush descriptions of the natural world and original musical interludes. The best tales leverage the full cast of narrators (13 acclaimed narrators, including Abraham) and create, for example, the dynamic variety of animal voices in "The Ugly Duckling." The fairy tales are a product of the nineteenth century, and adults will want to discuss the gender roles and racial stereotypes presented with young listeners. This collection is well suited to upper-elementary-age children and older and is a superb way to introduce Andersen's fairy tales, so deeply embedded in Western culture, to a classroom. Grades 5-8. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.

Gr 4–6—This collection includes 15 of Andersen's most memorable fairy tales. The production includes well-known classics such as "The Little Mermaid," "The Princess and the Pea," "Thumbelina," and "The Ugly Duckling" as well as some lesser-known stories, including "The Rags," "Luck Can Be Found in a Stick," and "The Will-o'-the-Wisps." Each tale is translated from the traditional Danish, and the stories are enhanced by original music. The fairy tales are read by narrators including Dion Graham, F. Murray Abraham, and Januar Lavoy. The stories vary in length with some discs containing five or six tales and some discs containing only one or two. VERDICT This collection will be useful for comparing traditional fairy tales to the versions many students are familiar with today, and the ensemble cast of narrators makes these stories both accessible and enticing for young listeners.–Anne Bosievich, Friendship Elementary School, Glen Rock, PA Copyright 2018 School Library Journal.

Brought to life by Academy Award®-winning actor F. Murray Abraham and an ensemble cast of narrators, and featuring original music by Michael Bacon, this collection contains Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved fairy tales, as well as a selection of lesser-known favorites.   Unlike the Brothers Grimm, who collected and retold folklore and fairy tales, Hans Christian Andersen adopted the most ancient literary forms and distilled them into a genre that was uniquely his own. His fairy tales are remarkable for their sense of fantasy, power of description, and vivid imagination. They are like no others written before or since.  Recognizing the literary merit of Andersen's own simple colloquial language, Erik Haugaard has remained faithful to the original text in the translation from Danish to English. Listeners will rediscover Hans Christian Andersen's best-known fairy tales, and find new favorites.  Stories:   The Princess and the Pea Thumbelina The Emperor's New ClothesThe Steadfast Tin Soldier The Ugly DucklingThe Little MermaidThe Little Match GirlThe Wild Swans The Nightingale The Snow Queen "The Will-o'-the-Wisps are in Town," said the Bog Witch The Rags The Adventures of a Thistle Luck Can Be Found in a Stick The Days of the Week  Cast:   F. Murray Abraham Edoardo Ballerini Marisa Calin Cynthia Darlow Ari Fliakos Dion Graham January LaVoy Jennifer Lim Euan Morton Robert Petkoff Rebecca Soler Marc Thompson