The Fir Tree

by Hans Christian Andersen (Illustrator), Sanna Annukka (Illustrator), Tiina Nunnally (Translator)

Overview

Gorgeously packaged with intricate illustrations from Finnish illustrator, Sanna Annukka, this new edition of Hans Christian Andersen's well-loved fairy tale, The Fir Tree, is the perfect holiday gift for adults and children alike.

Hans Christian Andersen's tragic tale of naive greed and dissatisfaction is retold through the striking and contemporary illustrations of Finnish illustrator Sanna Annukka. Cloth-bound in rich forest green, with gold foil embellishments, The Fir Tree is elevated from a children's book to a unique work of art and makes an ideal gift for people of all ages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399578489
Publisher:	Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
Publication date:	10/04/2016
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	634,041
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

About the Author

HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN was a Danish author who is best remembered for his fairy tales, which have been translated into 125 languages. They have become culturally embedded in the West's collective consciousness, readily accessible to children, but presenting lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity for mature readers as well. Some of his most famous fairy tales include The Emperor's New Clothes, The Little Mermaid, The Nightingale, The Snow Queen, The Ugly Duckling, and many more.

SANNA ANNUKKA is an English/Finnish printmaker and textile designer. She divides her time between designing collections for the Finnish textile brand Marimekko, and working on her own range of silkscreen prints and other products.

Date of Birth:

April 2, 1805

Date of Death:

August 4, 1875

Place of Birth:

Odense, Denmark

Place of Death:

Copenhagen, Denmark

Read an Excerpt

Out in the forest stood such a charming fir tree. It was in a good spot where it could get sunshine and there was plenty of air. All around grew scores of bigger companions, both firs and pines, but the little fir tree was so eager to grow up that it didn’t think about the warm sun or the fresh air. It didn’t pay any attention to the farm children who walked past, chattering, whenever they were out gathering strawberries or raspberries. Often they would come by with a whole pitcherful or they would have strawberries threaded on a piece of straw. Then they would sit down near the little tree and say, ‘Oh, how charming and little it is!’ That’s not at all what the tree wanted to hear.

Editorial Reviews

"Elegant"
— Vogue.com

"These two volumes – reprints of Andersen’s classic fairy tales – are published in new hardcover editions featuring illustrations by Finnish illustrator Annukka. Annukka has designed for Marimekko previously, and incorporates Finnish mythological symbols into her distinctive screenprint illustrations."
— Publishers Weekly 

From the Publisher

Andersen's strange tale of remembrance and regret hardly seems likely holiday fare for children. A small fir tree longs to grow and is never happy with his lot although the wind and the sunbeams tell him to be happy in his youth. Finally, the fir is chopped for a Christmas tree and revels in the celebrations. But in the spring when the brittle tree is hauled down from the attic and put in the bonfire, he realizes too late, ``if only I had been happy when I could.'' Using a variety of watercolor washes, chalk overlays, and fine line, Watts reinforces the storyline, but even her frequent use of yellow and orange cannot warm up this bleak story that suggests to adults that youth is wasted on the young.

School Library Journal

Paul Kennedy narrates Andersen’s dour fable in an avuncular manner that, despite his real expressiveness, will be hard for adults to take, but the story is too complex and bleak for an audience as young as his manner calls for. He reads with a Canadian accent. The brief story is broken up frequently by the Canadian Brass performing excerpts of Christmas music; the arrangements are often interesting but not necessarily kid-friendly or upbeat, especially the discordant and decidedly minor “What Child Is This?”. When the story’s ending--bitter, sad, regretful, resigned--is followed by “O, Christmas Tree,” it seems ironically cruel. Unfortunately, this program is misconceived for adults and children alike. W.M. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

FEB/MAR 06 - AudioFile