Charming illustrations of characters in some of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales accompany this gentle biography for ages 4-7. Andersen's life is described through his own voice as he tells stories to a young girl and her mother traveling with him. This is more a picture book autobiography than a book that can be used for reports. It gives brief introductions to some of his tales, but for those looking for more, the original tales would be more satisfying. The text is also marred by an anachronistic phrase (a trunk "takes off") which is too modern for the book's setting. Still, a sweet introduction to Andersen's life and work.

I liked this book about the life of Hans Christian Anderson. The illustrations were lovely and his story was told in a child friendly way.

We are devoted fans of Hans Christian Andersen here in our homeschool. My children have read through his original collection of short stories for children (translated to English, of course) and they loved this beautifully illustrated picture book when we read it together. 

The illustrator has created the most fanciful depictions of Andersen’s fairytales throughout the book. What a delight for children when they are able to identify and match the tale with the illustration! 

I have read many picture books about Hans Christian Andersen and I felt this one was unique in that it wasn’t a typical biography about him but rather a staged interaction between the great maestro and a curious, imaginative little girl. There is also a graphic novel feel to the picture book, as the narrative is told through dialogue. I feel it was a successfully done picture book - engaging, entertaining, and educational. 

Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for supplying a review copy of this book.

This would be a great addition to any fairy tale unit with his life journey. The illustrations completed the story especially with the colour themes to designate different aspects of his journey.

Hans Christian Andersen: The Journey of His Life by Heinz Janisch, 56 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. NorthSouth Books, 2020. $19.
Content: G
BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
On her way to Copenhagen with her mother, seven-year-old Elsa asks the man in their carriage a simple question. She learns that the man’s name is Hans and that he writes fairy tales. Elsa asks him to tell her a story, and Hans starts to tell her about a boy who learned how to fly.
Janisch cleverly tells the story of Hans Christian Andersen by having Hans himself tell his story to a child, a role that Hans was adept with in life. As Hans tells his story, hope is given to each reader that, no matter our trials, we can find fairy tale qualities in our lives, too. The wonderful illustrations masterfully blur the lines between reality and fairy tale throughout the story, and they are my favorite part of the book.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

The tale of Hans Christian Andersen's rages to riches life.  Includes allusions to his stories (such as the Snow Queen).  Young writers or those who have enjoyed Andersen's stories will likely enjoy this book. 

A good overview of Andersen's life with charming illustrations.

This delightful, beautifully illustrated graphic novel shares Hans Christian Andersen's life story. Within the fictional framing device, he is riding in a carriage with a little girl and her mother, and begins telling this girl the fairy tale of his life. I found the narrow font difficult to read at times, and some of the transitions are a bit abrupt, but this is a wonderful introduction to this storyteller. The illustrations are radiant, with different colors and tones representing varied emotions, and in addition to sharing biographical information about Andersen, this book also summarizes of some of his best-known works.

This will appeal to anyone who likes history, fairy tales, rags-to-riches stories, graphic novels, and inspiring, imaginative tales. I really enjoyed this book, and even though I wasn't sure what I would think of the fictionalized elements of this story, the framing device works well and gives Andersen a delightful narrative voice in this book, telling his story to a child. 

I remember reading a dry, boring, and drably illustrated biography of Andersen when I was a child, and I am glad that this book exists now to capture his life with soaring colors, creativity, and hopefulness. This is a great book, and readers shouldn't let the fictional elements turn them off from this appealing historical graphic novel.

It was so interesting learning about Hans Christian Andersen's life, which before this I knew nothing about! A lovely biography giving a light history of Hans life, accompanied by magical illustrations.

And now I want to go and read all his stories - some were mentioned that I had never ever heard of before!

"The most wonderful fairy tale is life itself. "  Hans Christian Anderson  With this quote Heinz Janisch sets the stage and takes us on a journey in which we learn of the many hardships Hans Christian Anderson endured as a young child.. Yet his father repeatedly took time to sit with him and read fairy tales.  These fairy tales gave him the wings and courage to create new worlds for himself.  As a young teen he went off on his own pursuing his dream to work in the theater..  Using the misfortune he saw around him and the struggles he had  he was able to create  fairy tales that allowed for escape. His own and that of future generations.   Thumbelina was born out of his own feelings of being tiny and helpless.  He dreamed of flying away to a better place.  The story of The Ugly Duckling  was the story of his own life. As he grew he went from being the son of a poor cobbler to a world renown author.  Truly life is the most wonderful fairy tale.
#NewFromNorthSouth #NetGalley
    The publisher lists the books as appropriate for ages 4-8,  I think it could also be very useful in a creative writing class which urges students to use their own experiences when they write.

I've always loved reading the work of Hans Christian Andersen. Admittedly, some of his takes I find annoying or ridiculous, but tales such as <em>The Little Mermaid</em> and <em>Thumbelina</em> have always held a special place in my heart. While I'll definitely say that some of his stories haven't aged well, namely the ones in which women are merely objects to be won and married, others have been immortalized over the years and for very good reason. For me, Heinz Janisch's--illustrated by Maja Kastelic--<em>Hans Christian Andersen The Journey of His Life</em> is a beautiful, cotton candy whimsical-esque biography for all ages.

Andersen refers to his life as a fairytale of its own. He is always filled with magic and whimsy, and this shines through expertly in this very fanciful collection of pages. You truly feel as though you are taking a journey into the mind of this incredible storyteller as he relates the truths of his life to a young girl whilst sharing a carriage journey together.

The illustrations are perfect for the story that the author weaves, capturing the true essence of the man and the work that he gave to the world. It also does an exceptional job of keeping readers engaged and will do well, I think, at capturing the attention of young readers in addition to adults. In many ways, you feel brought along on a magical journey through important moments and different fairytales as the story progresses. It's almost as though you are riding along in a flying trunk.

I had a great time reading this book. Though I will say that it is not something I imagine myself reading often, it is definitely the sort of book I think would be fun to have around when I have children. Hans Christian Andersen gave the world a great deal of joy from his stories and I do not doubt that he will continue to do so for longer than I could fathom.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

This review will go live on the Reader Fox blog on May 31, 2020.

A simple and short story of Hans Christian Andersen and his life. His life is told about him in a story he is telling to a little girl. The book gives a brief overview that would suit well for younger readers wanting to know who wrote some of their favorite fairy tales. The illustrations are beautifully drawn and make the text flow.

What an absolute delight! If I had more stars to give, I would. This is a beautifully illustrated and beautifully written perfect book full of light. It is told with enormous kindness and respect for the memory of Andersen and it will only leave you with the need to learn more and read more. I cannot wait to see what else both Heinz Janisch and Maja Kastelic work on in the future, and I will be definitely buying a copy of this for myself and my godchildren!

Hans Christian Andersen is one of my favorite storytellers.  I love finding picture book biographies about authors that show how they became famous for their work.  I think it is very encouraging for our young writers to see where ideas come from.  Reading this book made me think of the movie I watched as a kid.  I have loved Hans Christian Andersen stories ever since.

This was an unusual format for a biography, and it worked very well for the subject at hand. This piece of narrative nonfiction introduces us to the subject, Hans Christian Anderson, from the point of view of Hans Christian Anderson as he introduces himself to a child he's just met on a carriage ride. There is an end note that includes a brief biography. The illustrations are bright and cheerful and the text is both engaging and readable. I'd add it to my library when it becomes available.

This is a very interesting read with a very good underlying message for the children. The story is about Hans who is a hard working boy who makes his dreams come true by working hard, taking risks and by being persistent. The narration is not as straightforward as I have seen in early reader books and there were instances where my 7 year old asked for clarifications. We enjoyed the twisted narration as I think it helped my daughter to concentrate more and to develop her own reasoning and logic about certain parts of the book. For example, when Hans was asked if he was old, his response was that he us both young and old. And then he explains what he means by that. 

The story also mentions some of the famous fairytales by Hans Christian Andersen (such as Thumbelina, princess and the pea and the ugly duckling) that most children have read and loved. This brings out another familiar aspect to the plot that children enjoy and can relate to. 

Lastly, the illustrations are simple yet magical. I would recommend this book for it challenges the young minds of the readers

A really good biography of Hans Christian Andersen.  The wordless first page threw me, but as soon as a chirpy girl asks questions of him while they share a stagecoach to Copenhagen, we get a dialogue heavy picture book, that has some of the narrative qualities of a graphic novel.  The text sometimes breaks away from what are more or less quick captions to a larger chunk of words, but it's all pleasantly pitched for the young reader, and even I as an adult didn't know how Andersen had started in courtly theatres and stage performances.  The art is really charming, and when a certain question lets us visit several of the man's more well-loved stories, shows this illustrator could easy be called on to design books of any one of them.  It's no surprise this volume's creators have both won major awards in their careers – this smacks of class and a knowledge of what their audiences love.  And adults coming here will only love the moral presented at the end of the afterword, as well.  Wish I knew what all the 'Easter eggs' are, though.

Always loved Hans Christian Andersen. His stories were always full of magic and lessons. This is a perfect book to read to my 6 year old :) thank you for the advanced copy!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title.

We are a family who loves fairy tales so I was very excited to read this one. It did not disappoint and I will reading it with my kids asap as well as recommending it to my other fairy tale loving friends!

I thought I knew the story of Hans Christian Anderson, but this cute, lovely illustrated picture book proved me wrong. I had never heard that he wanted to be an actor, or that his father was a cobbler.

The story, told from the point of view of the author to a young child, with both scenes of his life, as well as scenes from his many stories. The scenes of his childhood are colored in sepia tone, while his stories are in full color.

The little girl, in the book, asks the sort of questions that a child might have, such as "what happened next".

A good introduction to the author's life, for young children.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Disclaimer: Arc via Netgalley
	
	Janisch and Kastelic’s children’s book about the life Hans Christian Andersen is well done and beautifully illustrated.  
	Janisch structures the story as one that Andersen himself is telling to a young girl as they ride to Copenhagen together in a carriage.  The biography is very like Andersen’s “Fairy Tale of My life”.  While the biography might be on the simplistic side, it is good and far from general.  Andersen’s father’s PTSD is shown.  The story of Andersen’s arrival in Copenhagen is showcased with its brave strangeness.  Andersen’s complex relationship with the Collins’ family, in particular Edvard, is not dealt with, but this is a children’s book so not that surprising; how could it be in such a format.
	Kastelic’s illustrations are beautiful.  Not only do they showcase Odense and Copenhagen, but there are little details drawn from the tales.  The style itself also reminds one of Andersen’s own tales.
	Highly recommended.