The Red Shoes: And Other Tales

Gr 3–5—This graphic novel anthology consists of two Hans Christian Andersen tales and one original story. In "The Red Shoes," Karen, a poor girl who loves to dance, is taken in by her wealthier great aunt after her mother passes away. She buys Karen a beautiful pair of red shoes from a shopkeeper with a demonlike appearance. On their way home, Karen and her mother pass another evil-looking man, a shoe shiner who tells Karen she must dance in her shoes. From then on, all Karen can do is dance. Karen is very doll-like in her appearance, with pursed ruby lips and unblinking eyes. She looks beautiful in the dance scene but otherwise lacks emotion. The ending, where the executioner chops off her feet, may be shocking to younger readers. "The Little Match Girl," nicely colored in sepia tone, is a tragic tale of a girl too afraid to go home after she is unable to sell her matches. As she lies dying on the snowy street, she is comforted by the visions she sees when she strikes her matches. This is the most emotionally drawn tale. "The Glass Boy," an original story about a boy who runs away to be with a living doll in a museum—and then turns into one—reads more like a Twilight Zone episode than a folktale.