A gawky, dreamy boy, Hans Christian Andersen grew up to become a profoundly imaginative writer and storyteller who revolutionized literature for children. Andersen gave us the now standard versions of some traditional folk tales, but many of his most famous tales sprang directly from his imagination and continue to resonate with today’s readers.

The stories here range from exuberant early works such as “The Tinderbox” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, through poignant masterpieces such as “The Little Mermaid” and “The Ugly Duckling”, to powerful and more subversive later tales written for adults, such as “The Ice Maiden” and “The Wood Nymph”. Tiina Nunnally’s sparkling new translation of 30 of his extraordinary tales captures the vibrancy of Andersen’s voice and will dazzle listeners young and old.