The Red Shoes - Illustrated Ed [Hardcover]

Hans Christian Andersen (Author), Gloria Fowler (Author), Sun Yung Yoo (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

AMMO Books' adaptation of The Red Shoes, the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, beautifully comes to life as re-envisioned by artist Sun Young Yoo.

In the original fairy tale, The Red Shoes were symbolic of taboo desire that could only be erased through suffering and repentance. In contrast, this contemporary version of The Red Shoes offers a positive message to young girls that is much more in tune with our time. This adaptation focuses on the transcendent love between a mother and daughter and the key notion that perseverance, ingenuity and hard work can allow one to overcome some of the greatest obstacles in life in order to pursue one's artistic and creative dreams.

Sun Young Yoo's exquisite, labor intensive pen and ink drawings are both technically masterful and artistically stunning. Her lyrical illustrations evoke a magical world, and her unique hand-drawn style resonates today amidst a sea of computer generated art and design. The revisited story and beautiful illustrations cross genres as both a classic children's tale, and as a lovely fashion oriented art book. Young children and grown up fashionistas alike will delight in its beauty and inventiveness.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2–6—A retelling of the much darker Hans Christian Andersen tale. Karen, daughter of the town shoemaker, is poor, but dreams of the day when she can make beautiful shoes. Her mother has been constructing a pair from leftover scraps of red leather as a birthday surprise, but becomes ill and dies. Heartbroken, Karen wears the red shoes to the funeral. When an evil queen demands to have them within three days even though they "had grown fast" to Karen's feet, the girl finds a solution with the help of her mother's spirit. Unlike the didactic Andersen tale, all ends well for the shoemaker's daughter as she learns that she can realize her dreams. This book is exceptionally well illustrated with intricate black line drawings that dominate the cream-colored pages and add drama and intensity to the simple text. The endpapers have multiple shoe designs.—C. J. Connor, Campbell County Public Library, Cold Spring, KY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"One of the most eye-catching books in the bookstore this season is 'The Red Shoes'—illustrated by Sun Young Yoo. The book is a re-telling of the classic Andersen fairy tale with lush linework. Its dark illustrations evoke Edward Gorey with a touch of Manhwa (Korean comics). Definitely check it out if you can." —Drawn! The Illustration Blog

"An adaptation of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, this version of 'The Red Shoes' offers a positive message to young girls instead. The pen and ink illustrations are insanely detailed..." —GOOP.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: AMMO Books; 1St Edition edition (November 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1934429066
• ISBN-13: 978-1934429068
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 12.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #118,105 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful!, February 1, 2009

By 

J. Lenhart - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Red Shoes - Illustrated Ed (Hardcover)

I could not be more thrilled with "The Red Shoes". My husband and I are always looking for special books to fill out our daughter's growing library, and we were not disappointed with this one. The illustrations are gorgeous and entertaining even to an adult sensibility. Our daughter simply appreciates the incredible detail and the sweetness of the story itself.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful illustrations, little kid appeal, August 31, 2009

By 

J. Stuckman (OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Red Shoes - Illustrated Ed (Hardcover)

This book has great illustrations. However, there are numerous writing/editing errors. The worst of which is the phrase "caught site of" instead of "caught sight of". Also, the vocabulary and sentence structure is a little intense for preschoolers. I agree that it is more suitable for adults.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous illustrations, but the story doesn't compare, April 30, 2009

By 

paddlerD (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Red Shoes - Illustrated Ed (Hardcover)

I ordered this book based on the illustrations, which are just gorgeous. However, this is not a children's story. There is nothing uplifting or engaging about the narrative. Even the "scary parts" are related flatly. This is a book for a 20-something with a strong design sense and career hopes, not for a five year old who wants a fairy tale.