This picture book is long but feels very short. In this book Hans Christian Andersen is riding in a stagecoach with a young Elsa. He’s talking with Elsa and entertaining her by telling her the story of his life, including all the magic he’s created on paper. The way this story is done, it’s both biography and a fairytale in its own right. Certain pages have one wanting to pull out old copies of Princess and the Pea, or The Snow Queen. This book is lovely and very well done.

Beautiful illustrations. I liked how the author told the story with the little girl. I think it would help teach about the author.

This is a beautifully written and illustrated book about Hans Christian Andersen. The story unfolds as Hans is in a coach travelling with a little girl called Elsa and her mother. He tells the girl about his life, the ups and downs, hardships and fortunes, and of the stories he created and how they all are in a way like experiences hes had. This really is a beautifully put together book and I loved it. Fans of any Hans Christian Andersen's books will adore this.

The blurb caught my attention but after that I lost my interest and didn't read this book. MAybe next time.

Hans Christian Anderson picture book is a biography of Hans Christian Anderson. He meets a girl in a carriage and tells her about his life. Hans was born in Denmark. His grandfather made and sold puppets and his father was a shoemaker. Hans father told him magical stories, which stayed with him. Hans left his home at the age of fourteen to join theatre. He also wrote stories for plays, his plays became famous, and the rest is history.

I loved the illustrations in this book. This book teaches young children to be imaginative and gives hope that a pauper can turn into a prince as long as he believes in himself. The book is a bit long and wordy for a picture-book but is worth reading.

This is a book about Hans Christian Anderson, and where he came from. He came from little, but it did not stop him. And look where that got him! The illustrations really enhanced the story in my opinion. They were colorful and great. I also really liked the aspect of the little girl. She was a nice addition to the story.

A young girl, Elsa, boards a carriage with her mother, and strikes up a conversation with the older gentleman, who is also traveling to Copenhagen. When she finds out he writes fairy tales, she asks him to tell her one, and he tells her the story of little Hans, a boy who learned to fly. Here begins the biographical part of the story, as the present day Andersen tells his life story, from a poor but happy childhood, until his father goes to war and comes home sick, dying when Andersen was 11 years old. A few years later, he goes off to Copenhagen hoping to start a career in theater, but that comes to a halt when his voice changes. At this point, he discovers writing, and this becomes his life. His tale continues as he tells Elsa how fairy tales reflect life, and the story ends on a magical note. The author's note at the end provides a more realistic version of Andersen's life, with more information about his publishing history and legacy.
Honestly, I loved everything about this book. The dreamy quality to Janisch's storytelling give it a fairy tale feel, and while there are cut specific events mentioned, you get a good feel for the spirit and life of Andersen, the flavor of his world. Kastelic's art is swoonworthy, with the present day shown in soft colors, the past in sepia tones, and the fairy tale parts- the stories his father read to him as a child, and Andersen's stories- shown in more vivid colors. The graphic novel format is perfect for this story, and I liked the use of text in the panels rather than speech bubbles; I can't say exactly why, but that made it feel more like a tale. An absolutely beautiful book, I recommend it highly!

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This is a nice book teaching about this creating writer. We learn about him through a conversation from the writer himself as he talks to a little girl. He tells about his life. The illustrations go well with the story and it is designed in graphic novel form. This is a wonderful book for youth to learn about this author making it a great book when wanting to research him or eager to learn more. It is well done for elementary and middle school readers. Being in story form it is a nice way for youth to learn a little about this real person. The idea of this book fits well with Hans Christian Anderson and creates a fun reading as well as educational reading experience. This book goes into nice detail and is a book we recommend for a fan of this great author.

Heinz Janisch’s fascinating (albeit fictionalized) biographical retelling of the beloved author of countless fairy tales will delight and amaze young readers. Set as a telling-of-tales by an elderly Hans Christian Andersen to a young girl, the story takes place on three planes—the present, the past, and the fairy tale.

With a mixture of art styles accompanying the different narrative aspects of this picture-book (brightly toned panels for the present and more neutral colors for the past, with the stories-within-the-story having their own look altogether) there is plenty of visual diversity to keep readers interested through the longer-than-normal picture book, while helpful author’s note at the conclusion of the book provides more objective context.

I had a lot of fun reading this story. This man had humble beginnings, but they refused to let it prevent them from making their dreams come true. The transition from actor to writer was truly an amazing sight to see, and learn how they came up with all these famous stories. Fans of this author will want to check this book out.

H. C. Anderson’s Life, Told in Pictures

This book details the life of Hans Christian Andersen told as a story-within-a-story. An elderly Hans is taking a carriage ride, and it also holds a young mother traveling with her daughter. The young girl is curious about the older gentleman and starts asking him questions. Eventually, he tells the tale of his life, starting with his early difficult years and extending through happier times. The author has also provided a couple of pages at the end that have more information about Hans Christian Andersen’s life. The illustrator employed an interesting use of color in this book. In the parts where Hans is talking about his past, we see his former world in brown and sepia tones. When he discusses his fairy tales, the illustrations are bright and busy. When Hans is talking to the little girl in the coach, the pages have more medium tones. Interestingly, on the big, bold colorful pages, I thought the backgrounds looked better than the foregrounds. The illustrator was able to depict lovely, subtle shifts between colors in the backgrounds, but the figures and other objects in the foreground looked two dimensional. If you have a child who enjoys Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, this might be a fun book to share with him or her.

I'm uncertain of the structure here. While I understand exploring the early life of a famous figures, especially in terms of understanding how early childhood experiences influence their later life and the work they produced, I found the framework of the carriage ride an unnecessary complication.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

I’m always a bit leery of picture books that run past the traditional 32 pages. And with this one at 56 pages? This might be the most telling comment of the entire review–it doesn’t feel long. Had I not known in advance that it was 2x as long as most, I wouldn’t have even thought about that fact.

Partially, it’s due to the captivating artwork. Witness how mesmerizingly bright things get when the story leaps into flights of the imagination. But I’ll let John handle that aspect of things, though I’ll simply add that this reader really appreciates the sense of wonder, innocence, and magic the illustrations create at times. Well done, Maja Kastelic!

Austrian author Heinz Janisch’s fresh take on the life of Hans Christian Andersen (translated by David Henry Wilson) is clever in that it allows Hans himself to tell his own story fairy-tale-style to a young girl named Elsa as they share a coach ride. That’s so appropriate in that it connects to the oral component of his tales–we likely first heard them read aloud to us, and here’s Hans doing that same thing for yet another young story lover. Like I said–so clever and apt.

Elsa also serves as a stand-in for the reader, asking the questions we want asked, primarily “What happens next?” But she also asks if he’s the Hans in his many stories, to which he replies: “I don’t think my stories are all about me. With fairy tales you can sometimes hold a mirror out in front of other people without them realizing it.”

Another way in which this book is clever is how Hans showcases qualities and experiences from his own life through the lens of his stories, such as how his own early years were like “The Ugly Duckling,” which is about a duckling who is teased for being different until one day when it turns into a beautiful swan. “Anyone can turn into something special–that’s what the story tells us. Like a poor cobbler’s son becoming a famous writer,” he says to Elsa and her mom.

Some might argue that the book presents too cheery a take on a life that most realize was fairly grim, lonely, and eccentric (I hesitate to call him weird, but yeah, that’s probably more accurate since he went bonkers over bad reviews, was terrified of being buried alive, and was likely celibate his entire life), but without a doubt, he’s one of the most influential writers of his century and this book captures a bit of that magic in a pleasant mix of biography and a well-fabricated story frame.

This is a must-read for any reader, with appropriate Back Matter that likely will offer one or two tidbits adult readers didn’t know about this beloved literary giant.

4.75 out of 5 pencils



–John’s Review of the Illustrations–

There’s something truly magical happening in Hans Christian Andersen: The Journey of His Life. It’s not just the context, although there’s plenty of magic to be found there. It’s in everything, really: the story, the illustrations, the colors, the compositions. If there’s a perfect picture book, in my opinion, I’d say this gets damn close to being it.

First, I must point out how much I love the length of this book. It’s much, much longer than your typical picture book today, but I appreciate that here. It’s long, but at no point was I bored and, personally, I don’t think kids will be bored reading this either. Heinz Janisch has made this popular, prominent figure of the establishment feel fresh again with an interesting take on their life story. I found it incredibly clever to couch Andersen’s history in a journey where he talks about his life with Elsa, a child–his main audience then and now. I was pleasantly reminded of how Andersen’s stories don’t talk down to children (and neither does this book), which I feel is something of a problem in the children’s publishing world today.

In terms of the illustrations, this is probably one of the most cinematic picture books I’ve ever read. The compositions, character designs, and expert use of color and mood harken to the work of Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarantino. As someone who has dabbled in filmmaking, it’s fantastic to see the crossover here. Color especially is used in incredibly effective ways that help tell the story. We’re taken through the highs and lows of Andersen’s life through color, and the way illustrator Maja Kastelic has approached it is pitch perfect. The contrast is such that, if you were to remove the words, I dare say that the images would still tell the story. They’re that good.

The character designs are also brimming with watercolorey appeal. I instantly like Andersen as he’s depicted here with his top hat and blue bow tie, his cheeks slightly flushed. The other characters involved are also charming and full of life. Even the environments are full of appeal and character thanks to the watercolor approach here.

The way the compositions are laid out almost resemble a comic book, and also reminded me of how Wes Anderson loves playing around with aspect ratio in his films (see The Grand Budapest Hotel and The French Dispatch). There’s one page in particular that I absolutely love: Andersen is discussing the dark times he endured as a child, and the illustrations are very desaturated and dour. And at the very bottom right-side of the page, underneath this mountain of black & white images, we see a small Elsa looking sad at what Andersen had to endure. We know exactly how Elsa is feeling because of the way the page is laid out and the way color (or lack of it) is used. This page, in and of itself, is a masterclass of visual storytelling.

I completely and willingly admit that I’m coming at this book with my own personal biases. However, I’m planning to purchase The Journey of His Life when it’s released in September, so that right there should tell you how much I love it. I think you’ll love it, too.

5 out of 5 crayons

**I received an e-ARC from NetGalley for an honest review**

The story was cute and a fast read, but the font was a little crammed onto the page and hard to read at times. The writing was well done and easy to follow, and the message of following your dreams and not given up was given without banging the reader over the head with it.

The illustrations reminded me of the opening sequence from Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Beautifully colored and whimsical. The flashbacks colored in sepia tones made for a nice contrast and allowed the story to flow seamlessly from present to past and back.

Overall, 4.5/5 stars (but I'll round up to 5), with the slight deduction due to the font.

I received an electronic ARC from North South Books Inc. through NetGalley
Biography of Anderson's life told in story format. A young girl and her mother are traveling by coach to Copenhagen. An older man shares the carriage. Through conversations with the girl, Hans tells his life in story format. Janisch includes informative text at the end. Lovely illustrations bring this story to life as well as the fairy tales Anderson wrote and shared with the girl.

Can we give this book more than five stars? Simply stunning, imaginative illustrations grace the pages of this must-have children's book. The life story of the famous fairy tale creator is winsomely told by Anderson himself as he rides a coach with an inquisitive little girl and her mother. Anderson's birth on a Danish island, his impoverished beginnings, his trek to the big city in attempts to be on the stage, his schooling, and story-writing start. It's all here. Scenes from his stories incorporate Anderson and the little girl on the train. Sure to become a classic in its genre.

This was an enchanting encounter about an author whose works are so well known and loved. Author Heinz Janisch blends historical fact into a plot that empowers imagination and friendship, while illustrator Maja Kastelic presents artistic renderings in a magical palate of hues.

It was refreshing to hear about the man behind the wonderful stories we love. Pictures were well done and writing too. It was a nice story

BUT since this is an illustrated book targeting kids mostly I have to say I’m not sure about two things: the calligraphy is too small AND there is too much text on every page or none where it would’ve help to space out the other pages with too many.
I showed my own kids and they didn’t want to read it because it was too much text on certain pages and felt overwhelmed BUT they really loved the pictures tho :)

**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

Really enjoyed this historical fiction retelling of Anderson's life. Completed in wonderfully brilliant and hopeful colors, this children's biography-like tale sweeps you up like a flying trunk and doesn't let go til the ending. Well done.

This is a gorgeously illustrated book about Hans Christian Andersen. It thoughtfully weaves the story of his life and his inspired fairy tales together. It is a wonderful addition to the world of picture book biographies, which our children thoroughly enjoy.