Title: Andersen's Fairy Tales: The Leaping Match, Shoes of Fortune, The Red Shoes, The Real Princess, The Fir Tree
Author: Hans Christian Andersen
Publisher: North-South Books
Date: 2002
Number of pages: 92 pages
Reading level: Ages 4-6
Genre: Fairy Tale
Summary: Hans Andersen appears to write a lot about shoes, magical kingdoms, and the arts. Which makes sense because Andersen's father was a shoemaker, and he left his house when he was 14 to excel in the arts. Mostly I found that the shoes he writes about have powers that overcome the shoes and make them magical.
In the Red Shoes a girl is being taken care of by an older woman who purchases her a pair of gorgeous red shoes. Everyone speculates the shoes and their appropriateness in church, and at her baptism. Sooner a later when a man comments on how beautiful the shoes are the shoes power awakens and she begins to dance. Once she starts dancing, she can't stop...she dances day and night, rain or shine. Although she waivered from the teachings of the church, she soon came back and felt her self-worth. She felt that she was no better nor worse then the rest of the individuals whom sat in the congregation. The pastor told her that she was right to come back to the fold, and she said that it was by mercy that she returned.
My reaction: I found Andersen's fairy tales to be quite dull and to meander. I didn't feel there was any real plot of moral to the story, and were way too long to even get the point across. It lacked any time of suspense, adventure, or even a tiny bit of entertainment.
Potential problem: The lack of entertainment value could pose as a problem to young children.
My recommendation: I would not share this with young children. They will not be able to sit still and listen to the stories. Even as an adult, I did not enjoy the stories - but definitely will be appreciated "more" by an age group that is old enough to have a lengthy attention span.
In the Red Shoes a girl is being taken care of by an older woman who purchases her a pair of gorgeous red shoes. Everyone speculates the shoes and their appropriateness in church, and at her baptism. Sooner a later when a man comments on how beautiful the shoes are the shoes power awakens and she begins to dance. Once she starts dancing, she can't stop...she dances day and night, rain or shine. Although she waivered from the teachings of the church, she soon came back and felt her self-worth. She felt that she was no better nor worse then the rest of the individuals whom sat in the congregation. The pastor told her that she was right to come back to the fold, and she said that it was by mercy that she returned.
My reaction: I found Andersen's fairy tales to be quite dull and to meander. I didn't feel there was any real plot of moral to the story, and were way too long to even get the point across. It lacked any time of suspense, adventure, or even a tiny bit of entertainment.
Potential problem: The lack of entertainment value could pose as a problem to young children.
My recommendation: I would not share this with young children. They will not be able to sit still and listen to the stories. Even as an adult, I did not enjoy the stories - but definitely will be appreciated "more" by an age group that is old enough to have a lengthy attention span.
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