THE PERFECT WIZARD Hans Christian Andersen

Jane Yolen tells the story of Danish poet and fairy tale author Hans Christian Andersen. Andersen, who was himself something of an ugly duckling, grew up in destitute circumstances, but he appears to have had such a love of writing and such a drive to succeed in life that he barely noticed the hardships. Stina Nielsen's straightforward, pleasant-voiced narration allows listeners to focus on how Andersen persevered, time and again, when the odds were against him, moving past continuous early obstacles to his own happy ending. Yolen has done an excellent job spinning this tale so that it is interesting, accessible, and inspiring to a broad range of young listeners. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 06]