The Snow Queen

From School Library Journal Grade 2–6—Lewis's adaptation of Andersen's well-known tale is a smoother, somewhat edited version of the one she included in Tales of Hans Christian Andersen , illustrated by Joel Stewart (Candlewick, 2004), and the text is more appealingly arranged on the page. It includes Andersen's introduction to the story, which describes the breaking of the devil's magic mirror, as well as all of the twists and turns of the plot that are a part of Gerda's journey to find Little Kay. Soft pastel illustrations show aerial views of the lovely orange-roofed European city; several exquisitely rendered portraits of the children and of the elegant and beautiful Snow Queen; and impressionist-style scenes that range in size from full-page to smaller vignettes, highlighting and enlivening each of the unusual characters and scenes in the story. The tale's sophistication lies in its well-fleshed-out religious motifs-the purity and innocence of a child's heart that obliges people and animals to serve her; the great power inherent in the utterance of the Lord's Prayer by this child whose faith is pure and strong. A lovely edition to add to any collection.— Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Naomi Lewis is a leading authority on the works of Hans Christian Andersen, many of whose stories she has translated. She is also the author of EAST O' THE SUN, WEST O' THE MOON, illustrated by P.J. Lynch. She lives in London.Christian Birmingham is the illustrator of Martin Waddell's A KITTEN CALLED MOONLIGHT, as well as several titles by Michael Morpurgo. He lives in London.