The original story that inspired Frozen. . . The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen and @PushkinP
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  • N. N. Light
    • Jan 22, 2019
    • 3 min read

The original story that inspired Frozen. . . The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen and @PushkinP


Title: The Snow Queen

Author: Misha Hoekstra (Translator), Lucie Arnoux (Illustrator), Hans Christian Andersen, Helen Crawford-white (Designer)

Genre: Children’s Literature

Publisher: Pushkin Press

Book Blurb:

When Kai is cursed by a magic mirror, he can no longer perceive goodness in anything - not his best friend Gerda, nor the roses in the garden. One wintery evening, he is kidnapped by the wicked Snow Queen and swept away to live for ever in her kingdom of ice.

Friendless and shoe-less, Gerda must travel through inhospitable lands, with only crows to guide her and bandits for company, in order to find her beloved friend. And when she gets there, how will she melt the ice in his heart?

Nearly two centuries after its first publication, The Snow Queen endures as a tale of love and loss, good and evil, and loyalty in the face of great hardships.

My Review:

If you’re a fan of the Disney movie, Frozen, you’ll love this story. Frozen is based on this fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.

I first heard the story of The Snow Queen when I was six years old. My mother read it to me before bedtime. Decades later, it’s just as breathtaking as I remember.

The Devil is up to no good when he breaks his mirror. It shatters into a million pieces and tiny shards of glass pierce people’s eyes and hearts. Suddenly, they see only the negative things in life and their hearts freeze. The Devil laughs and is gleeful at the humans acting mean and distancing themselves from love and family.

This is what happens to young Kai and before anyone can figure out what’s happened, he is kidnapped by the Snow Queen. She sees the frozen heart of his and vows to make him hers.

Gerta is Kai’s best friend and when Kai disappears, she puts on her new red shoes and tries to find him. She asks the flowers, birds and even the big river. No one knows where Kai is. She continues on her journey to find Kai, not knowing if he is dead or alive. Will they be reunited or will Kai freeze to death under the Snow Queen’s kisses?

I loved this translation and the illustrations were beautiful. Well done, Pushkin Children’s Books.

I highly recommend this book to everyone and it’s a must-read! It makes a beautiful gift, too.

Disclaimer: I received a copy from Pushkin Children’s Books via Netgalley in the hopes I’d review it.

Favorite Quote:

“In the valleys, the roses grow, The Child of God we’ll come to know…”

My Rating: 5+ stars

Buy it now:

Author Biography:

Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) is one of the best-loved tellers of fairy tales. He was born in Odense, Denmark, the son of a shoemaker. Despite the poverty of his early life he became a short-story writer, novelist and playwright. He is best known for his fairy tales, which were published between 1835 and 1872, and include The Red Shoes, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling.

Translated from the Danish by Misha Hoekstra. Misha has won several awards for his literary translations. He lives in Aarhus, where he works as a freelance writer and translator, in addition to writing and performing songs under the name Minka Hoist.

Lucie Arnoux is a keen storyteller, who likes to spend a lot of time on her illustrations, and in her illustrations. Originally from France, she graduated from Kingston University in Illustration & Animation. She has also illustrated In Their Shoes, published by Pushkin Children's.

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Reviewed by: Mrs. N

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