“If you like, I’ll tell you the story of a boy who learned to fly.” Through an enchanted conversation with a young girl in a horse-drawn coach, Hans Christian Andersen shares his life’s struggles, dreams, and triumphs–whose threads can be found woven into his greatest stories. He tells her about the “fairy tale of his life” and how the son of a shoemaker became a celebrated writer. Heinz Janisch paints a sensitive portrait of Andersen and his literary work. Maja Kastelic has developed a well-suited illustration concept for this story that combines sumptuous art of a picture book with elements of a graphic novel. Thus, for the first time, H. C. Andersen’s life and work become a fascinating collage in picture book form. A moving, inventive story about the life of Hans Christian Andersen
The context for this biographical telling about Hans Christian Andersen is sweet, with a little girl asking him to tell her a fairy tale. He tells the fairy tale of his own life, giving a good overview of his earlier life into adulthood, but not much farther. It does feel a little prompted, but it's an interesting, informative, and enjoyable read.
Heinz Janisch was born in Austria in 1960. He was nominated for the 2009 Lindgren Me- morial Award and the 2010 Hans Christian Andersen Award.
Maja Kastelic is a Slovenian author and illustrator. She studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design. She currently lives in Trebnje, Slovenia, with her family.
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