The strength of a little girl’s love enables her to overcome many obstacles and free a boy from the Snow Queen’s spell.
The Snow Queen
Europe
Materials from Europe
Days of the Ducklings
On a small island off the coast of Iceland, Drífa has the task of hatching and raising over two hundred peeping wild eider ducklings. Her goal, for which she is supported by a license granted by the Ministry of the Environment, is to raise the ducklings to reestablish a colony of common eiders here. If the ducklings are to survive in the wild, they can’t become pets. Drífa must nurture them while keeping her distance as their caregiver. She must balance the emotionally satisfying appeal of her charges with her ultimate goal of reestablishing the colony if she is to succeed in raising her lovable ducklings to live free as wild eider ducks.
The Tinderbox
A retelling of Andersen’s classic tale of a brave soldier who finds love and fortune in a magic tinderbox
Nights of the Pufflings
On a tiny island off the coast of Iceland, Halla and her friends wait with anticipation. Every spring, millions of puffins, the clowns of the sea, return to nest, lay eggs, and raise their chicks to pufflings. That means Halla and her friends will be busy in August when the pufflings venture out at night to take their first flight. Then, all of the children stay out all night, too. During the nights of the pufflings they rescue thousands of stranded young birds, and in the daytime set them safely free at the beach. In Nights of the Pufflings, Bruce McMillan captures the unique and endearing story of an island tradition.
The Little Mermaid
A little sea princess, longing to be human, trades her mermaid’s tail for legs, hoping to win the love of a prince and earn an immortal soul for herself.
The Ladder
A ladder, long forgotten on a lonely lane, sets out to see the world, but finds that people and animals keep using it to climb into the sky and disappear.
Stories from Hans Christian Andersen
Eleven fairy tales by the master storyteller are retold in a voice that is fresh and inventive and yet always true to the spirit of Andersen. The jaunty, playful illustrations add to the fun, bringing out with humor and verve all the childlike aspects of the tales.
Sleep Well, Little Bear
Instead of counting sheep, an insomniac little bear sends himself to sleep by contemplating the nighttime world from the bedroom window, remembering the day’s adventures and planning for tomorrow’s.
The Rainbow Fish
The most beautiful fish in the entire ocean discovers the real value of beauty and friendship.
The Ink Garden of Brother Theophane
In medieval Ireland, Theophane’s boredom with his duties as a scribe distracts the other monks, but when he is sent to the kitchens, he discovers that he can make inks of many colors from plants, allowing others to illustrate their work.