The Little Mermaid [Hardcover]

Hans Christian Andersen (Author), Sulamith Wulfing (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

For Sulamith Wülfing, the world of fairy tales was always an inspiration for her beautiful paintings. Above all, she loved Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, with its poetic language and its poignant understanding of the transforming power of love. For children and adults alike.

“The exquisite paintings by Sulamith Wülfing perfectly evoke the magical world of the little mermaid.”
—Yoga Journal

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German, Danish

About the Author

Sulamith Wulfing was born in 1901 in Wuppertal-Elberfeld, Germany. After finishing her high school education, she attended art academy for four years. And when only twenty-two years old, she had her first exhibition in her hometown of Wuppertal.

In the Second World War she was persecuted by the Nazis and had to flee with her son and mother while her husband fought for Germany. During the war, the family experienced a number of tragic events, before they eventually met again in Christmas 1945. Wulfing has always been convinced that only the spiritual support of Jiddu Krishnamurti, whom she honored as her teacher, prevented her from being transferred to a concentration camp by Hitler's SS.

For Sulamith, the years after the war were filled with intense artistic activity and publishing. She died in March 1989 at the age of 88. She is an internationally acclaimed artist. But more than anything else, her art touches the hearts of countless people throughout the world.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Amber Lotus (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885394179
• ISBN-13: 978-1885394170
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,971,835 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best rendering of this story I have ever seen, April 18, 2002

By 

F. Orion Pozo "Orion Pozo" (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Little Mermaid (Hardcover)

The Little Mermaid. Illustrated by Sulamith Wulfing; text by Hans Christian Andersen. Translated from the German by Petra Michel.

Sulamith Wulfing is a fantastic artist whose work has been sold as books of plates, calendars, and even decks of cards. This book is special because it is one of the few times that her works illustrate a story. Each page has black and white line drawings and there are ten full page color plates. The color plates are the type of work for which the artist is most known and the ten in this book have been reprinted in her calendars and other collected works. The color is vibrant and the themes of each are sublime. The cover illustration is also the last illustration in the text and shows the mermaid transformed into The Immortal Soul.

An epilog called "The Sacrifice" written by the artist's son, Otto Schulze, states that a new translation of Andersen's story was used and that "parts of the story have been summarized." While staying true to Andersen's original plot, incidents and characters have been left out and parts of the story have been changed. These changes raise the story above being a children's fairy tale and highlight its allegorical theme about the role of love in the quest for immortality. The modified text and the mystical art go together excellently to make this the best rendering of this story I have ever seen. Originally published in German in 1953, this work is as vibrant today as when it was first conceived 50 years ago.

At the end of the book is a brief one page biography of the author with an early photograph of her and a self portrait painted in 1953.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most reviews here are NOT about this book!, June 19, 2003

By 

R. Valois (Saint Paul, MN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Little Mermaid (Hardcover)

Sulamith Wulfing's art is gorgeous! Unfortunately, most of the reviews I see here are NOT for her book! They are reviews of the version Rachel Isadora illustrated (see the "nipples" and violence comments); or even for Disney's Little Golden Book adapted from the cartoon. I don't understand why reviews for other versions are displayed here; it's very misleading! If you like Sulamith Wulfing's art, you'll probably like this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite Illustrations, November 19, 2007

By 

Denise H. Moynahan "author and illustrator of... (In Maryland on top of Backbone Mountain) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Little Mermaid (Hardcover)

I purchased this book because of the exquisite illustrations. Although the original book was published over 50 years ago, Sulamith Wulfing's artwork brings a fairy tale magic to Han's Christian Anderson's wonderful story, The Little Mermaid. Wulfing paints with a delicate grace, using subtle colors and strong design. The color plates are balanced with bold black and white spot illustrations placed within the text. It's a joy to go from page to page to discover each piece of artwork.

I enjoyed the written text as well. The descriptions were excellent and powerful. The epilogue and short biography at the end were nice additions. The book is a treasure for every child's library and for all adults who love fine art.

Denise Hillman Moynahan
The Great Cavern of the Winds: Tales from Backbone Mountain