The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Snow Queen has been my most beloved fairy tale of all time for twenty years at least, and I don't see that changing any time soon. That being the case, I am rather addicted to reading every single version I can get my hands on. At the same time, I find myself quite critical of the 'retellings' - including this one. I understand The Snow Queen is a bit long for a fairy-tale, and the need to slightly abridge the story for picture-book is legitimate. It makes sense to leave out, for example, the various flowers' stories at the end of the enchantress' section. However, this is not only an abridgement but a retelling - and one with a clear agenda to remove all spirituality from the tale, thus making the entire thing fall rather flat.

For all that, the illustrations are stunningly gorgeous, and I will absolutely be keeping this version - it's wonderful to look at, if nothing else.

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