The Snow Queen (PJ Lynch)
by Hans Christian Andersen and P J Lynch, illustrated by P J Lynch
Interest age: 6+
Reading age: 7+
Published by Andersen Press, 2009
About this book
The Snow Queen is one of Anderson's most haunting stories, combining as it does familiar fairy-tale patterns with his own more naturalistic mysticism.
A wicked troll constructs a mirror which shrinks everything good and magnifies the bad; it shatters and a fragment pierces Kay's heart, making him cruel and harsh.
Kay is then enchanted by the icily beautiful Snow Queen and swept away. His childhood friend, Gerda, vows to find him, undertaking an arduous journey over strange lands and meeting much enchantment, to discover that only her love and tears can thaw his frozen heart.
Lynch's vivid yet ethereal illustrations capture the balance between the wondrous and the recognisable in this powerful story about the redemptive nature of love and the passing of time.
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Lists of recommended reads
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The best queens in fiction
Children's books are full of varied and colourful portrayals of queens: some wield Evil Powers, while others save the day in interesting ways. Nearly all are characters you'll find hard to forget.