His Fairytale Life

Praise

A treasure. . . Yolen sensitively recounts how Andersen’s story was marked by hardship, ambition, creativity, and longing. The beauty of her writing astounds.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

This beautiful picture book serves as a poetic tribute from one imaginative writer to another.
—Booklist (starred review)

Yolen traces via a single, lilting sentence the life of Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875), whose original stories are now considered cultural touchstones. . . Pale, romantic watercolor, graphite, and ink spreads by Boynton-Hughes (Heart String) set the events in atmospheric interiors and streets, and represent Andersen’s imaginative creations as intricate, tapestry-like waves of fantasy that spread beyond him.
—Publishers Weekly

The sequential story is factually told but still has warmth and affection.
—The Bulletin

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.’
—The Horn Book