Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Little Match Girl Week: Rachel Isadora (and some extras)


The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen and illustrated by Rachel Isadora is perhaps the most popular picture book version of the tale, staying in print since 1987 when it was first published.

Review from Publishers Weekly:

Andersen's tale about a little girl who's afraid to go home because she hasn't sold enough matches is a classic. The little girl, bareheaded and barefoot, curls up in a corner, lighting match after match to warm herself. In the flames she sees visions; in the final one, her grandmother appears and lifts the little girl into heaven. With muted blues, grays and browns, Isadora captures the mood of a snowy Victorian winter reminiscent of Dickens's A Christmas Carol. With these illustrations, coupled with superb book design, the artist has surpassed even the splendid art in her previous books.


The last few years, Isadora has published several fairy tale picture books with African settings and stylized illustrations, pictured below.


The Ugly Duckling


Hansel and Gretel


The Princess and the Pea


Rapunzel


The Twelve Dancing Princesses


The Fisherman and His Wife

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