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Yolen, Jane

His Fairytale Life: A Book About Hans Christian Andersen

32 pp. | Holiday/Porter | April, 2025 | Trade ISBN 9780823451036 $18.99 | Ebook ISBN 9780823462261 $11.99
(2) K-3 Illustrated by Brooke Boynton-Hughes. Winding through thirty-two pages of enchanting illustrations, one long sentence with a “once upon a time” feel deftly takes readers through the life story of Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875). Each word must earn its place to make this construction work: “He was a boy who lived with a mother who could not read, but remembered every fairy tale she’d been told…” The text juxtaposes the in-congruences of Andersen’s life: someone who cannot write as a child but wants to be a poet; later, a beloved author who is personally lonely. The soft watercolor, graphite, and pen-and-ink illustrations capitalize on these contrasts by bringing out details that invoke emotional response -- a lanky teenage Andersen crouching at a child-size desk among very young children while learning to read is comical, heartrending, and hopeful all at once. The illustrations are especially effective when they incorporate Andersen’s own fairy tales, whether through small visual references or more fully realized scenes springing from his work or daydreams. For those just starting to learn about Andersen’s stories and life, the details included are engaging, and the text leaves enough that is open-ended to encourage further exploration. Yolen’s long poetic sentence ultimately ends in tribute: “Hans Christian ­Andersen -- your own story more like a fairy tale than a life.” Back matter includes an extended biographical note and suggested additional reading.
Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2025

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