The Snow Queen
Publisher: Pushkin Children’s
Kai and Gerda are neighbours and best friends. They love looking at books together. But one day, a shard of glass from the devil's mirror lodges itself in Kai's eye and into his heart, and he's transformed into a cruel boy who makes fun of the people around him.
Kai is taken by the Snow Queen who lives in a world of ice and snow, but faithful Gerda is determined to find him and restore her friend to the boy she knows and loves. A host of characters help her along her way, including a bandit, a prince, princess and a Sami woman.
Hans Christian Andersen’s stories might seem a little bizarre to modern readers. They are at once traditional in the truest sense and yet can be chaotic.
This particular story, originally published in Danish in 1844, has been beautifully produced by Pushkin Press. With lovely illustrations and in a pretty format, any young readers seeking a wintry story for a cold Christmas night will love this one of a demonic mirror and the elusive queen born of a snowflake.
