The Snow Queen, by Hans Christian Anderson, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. Harpers, 2013, 34 pages.
Reading level: Middle Grades, 10-12
Maturity Level: All
Bottom line: The Bagram Ibatoulline illustrations make this version of Anderson’s The Snow Queen a family read-aloud treasure.
Frozen, one of the most popular Disney features of all time, is supposed to be loosely based on this classic tale. In the original, it’s one of Andersen’s more difficult stories: long and rambling and lacking cohesion within its parts. The evil troll (or trolls), who kick off the action by making a deceitful mirror, disappear once the damage is done and we never hear from them again. The title character appears only briefly and appears to have no motivation or personality. But between the troll and the queen are Gerda and Kai (Kay), two fast friends who are separated when a splinter of the shattered mirror enters Kai’s heart and turns it to ice. The Snow Queen snatches him away and Gerda must embark on a long journey, spanning months or perhaps years, to find him. It’s a simple story (shortened in this version), and even though most of the original religious content is left out, it can still be interpreted as a parable of the helplessness of individuals under the power of sin, and Christ’s persistent campaign of rescue. The illustrations are outstanding: Bagram Ibatoulline is coming up in the picture-book world, with a lush, detailed style that reminds me of Chris Van Allsburg. A great read-aloud for a winter’s night.
Cautions: Visually Problematic (some very young children might be frightened of the troll)
Overall value: 5 (out of 5)
- Worldview/moral value: 4.5
- Artistic value: 5
Categories: Fairy Tale, Picture Books, Starred Review, Classics, Gift Books, Read Alouds, Character Values
Hans Christian Anderson, The Snow Queen, Bagram Ibatoulline, European Fairy/Folktale, picture books, read aloud, family, classics, gift books, friendship, sacrifice, Reading Level: Middle Grades ages 10-12, Maturity Level: all, seasons: winter
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Oooh, I LOVE The Snow Queen! And I am an admirer of Ibatoulline’s work, so I can’t wait to see this one. I read Twelve Kinds of Ice last year and agree that it’s a great book. Beautiful, quick read. I’m not familiar with the third book yet…thanks for the recommendations, Janie!
I would have to ditto Megan’s comments 100%!!! 🙂