This delightful selection of stories by one of the classic masters of the genre includes some well-known and lesser known tales, presented in lively Naxos AudioBooks style with music and sound effects.

This recording is also unique in that the stories are read by the finalists in the Naxos AudioBooks/ The Times Voice of the Year competition which offered a recording opportunity to talented readers who had never studied or worked professionally.

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This enchanting collection contains twelve of Hans Christian Andersen's magnificent stories. It includes Thumbelina, a little girl no more than a thumb-joint high, The Emperor's New Clothes, the tale of a man who cares only for his appearance and The Little Mermaid, who longs to one day marry a human prince.

Originally published in 1924, this collection The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen is illustrated with the magnificent Art Nouveau color illustrations of Kay Nielsen. It was a project that took Nielsen twelve years to complete, and his illustrations perfectly capture the other-worldly spirit of Andersen's subject matter. It includes such well-known and loved tales as "The Snow Queen," "The Real Princess," "The Hardy Tin Soldier" and "The Nightingale."...

Who has not laughed at the emperor's new clothes, thrilled to the song of the nightingale, or sympathized with the ugly duckling? In the 170 years since they first began to appear, Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales have entranced and bewitched millions of readers, adults and children alike. Writing in the midst of a Europe-wide rebirth of national literature, Anderson broke new ground with his fairy tales in two important ways. First, he composed...

The strength of a little girl's love enables her to overcome many obstacles and free a boy from the Snow Queen's spell

In "The Little Match Girl" a poor young girl tries to sell matches in the street. Walking barefoot having lost her slippers, she shivers from cold and early hypothermia. Too afraid to go home and face her father's wrath at not selling enough matches, the girl takes shelter in an alley. The girl lights the matches to warm herself and sees several lovely visions. First a warm stove, then a sumptuous holiday feast, and then a magnificent Christmas tree....