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| Pushkin Children's Books October 2015 |
There's something timeless and evocative about fairy stories. They're built into the fabric of our bones and gladden our heart and spirit with a joy that is simply not replicated anywhere else.
This edition of The Snow Queen encapsulates the story so beautifully that it is magical to read. First of all, it's a perfect size for little hands to hold. There's nothing remotely cumbersome about the presentation and the simplicity of the black and white line drawings capture the essence of the story in a realistic way. Some are a little bit scary, but beautifully descriptive and always entirely in keeping with the reality of the story unfolding.
The story is, as always , divided into its seven parts, all of which are a prefect fit for a bedtime story and there's enough of a cliff hanger to keep the suspense alive until the next read. Of course, being a greedy grown up, I read this wonderful story in one sitting and it brought back so many memories of my childhood, and of being transported to a magical land of ice and snow. And of course, I'm not going to tell you the story, as its one of those that must be read without preconceptions. My only advise is to have tissues handy..
The younger generation, who have been beguiled by the phenomenon that is Frozen might like to read this original story from which Frozen has gleaned most of its inspiration.
Isn't this just wonderful...
"She was exquisite but she was ice - dazzling, flashing ice- even though she was alive. Her eyes shone like two bright stars, but there was no peace or rest in them"...
It's written magic with a purity that is quite simply, stunning. So, if you're a grown up, with a tiny corner of your heart still believing in magic, then pop a copy of this little gem into your stocking this Christmas.
Best read..with a sleepy child, a tatty teddy and a whole packet of crunchy, chocolate animal biscuits.
The Snow Queen is published in this edition by Pushkin Children's Books and is translated by Misha Hoekstra and Illustrated by Lucie Arnoux.
About the Authors
Translated by Misha Hoekstra
Illustrated by Lucie Arnoux
My thanks to Hayley at ED Public Relations and to Pushkin Children's Books for my copy of
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Ahh Lovely brings back memories of reading this umpty years ago when I was little, I loved it and it always made me cry.
ReplyDeleteI know Jan -I had a real sense of going back in time to a Christmas long ago when I got a book of Hans Christian Anderson stories in my stocking..
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