The Snow Queen and Other Tales

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Summary: A Dream Come True
Review: I also loved this book as a child in the 60's. I checked it out of the library until it finally disappeared from the stacks and I could no longer get it. As an adult, I searched for this book for years, finally finding it through an out of print book service and paying about $$$ for it. I was thrilled to have it, but unfortunately in the years since it had been printed, the lovely, dreamlike colors in the illustrations had faded, losing much of their emotional intensity. I am absolutely thrilled that this book has finally been reissued. It is a "must-have" for anyone who loves fairy tales or appreciates the art of illustration- in fact, as a working artist, I have to credit Adrienne Segur's work with inspiring me as a child to keep drawing. And if you are a ballet fan, this is a true representation of the rather creepy, very dark original tale of the Nutcracker, not the dumbed-down saccarine version fed to kids today. This is one of the best children's books, ever.

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Summary: A perfect gift for the holidays!
Review: The Snow Queen and other Tales is the perfect companion to The Golden Book of Fairy Tale Classics. The illustrations by Arienne Segur are amazing. These are the sort of books one does'nt see anymore with a definate "old world" feel to them. Indeed both volumes were not available for many years. But now they are at such an amazingly low price (these are hardbacks and large ones) there is simply no excuse.
The tales: Andersen's The Snow Queen, Baba Yaga and several other Russian fairytales are wonderful to read aloud and alone. With the added treat of Hoffmann's The Nutcracker they have strong appeal for the Christmas season.
As a child I received The Fairy Tale volume and a schoolmate was given The Snow Queen. My mother tried in vain to find a copy for me but they were sold out. This was Christmas 1966 for years I tried to locate it, no luck...until a week ago I was poking around on Amazon and ther it was! I recieved by copy a few days.
Let me say that this is beautiful, beautiful book! I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you a small person in your life buy it for them, if you love folk and fairy tales or know someone that does purchase it by all means! Heck! get a copy for yourself!

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Summary: A child's personal library
Review: This book is a "must have" for every child's personal library and should be in every public library and school media center. As a professional children's librarian I would recommend it as part of any child's home library because of its quality and content. The material contained within this book is difficult to find in America, especially so well written and so beautifully illustrated. It was a joy to see it finally reissued. I still have my own childhood copy, although it is dog-eared and pages are loose. A perfect gift for any adult to give a child they care about.