"The Little Match Girl" by Kveta Pacovska is a poignant retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale. Set against a backdrop of a cold and wintry night, the story follows a young girl who sells matches in the streets. As she struggles to survive in a heartless world, she lights her matches one by one, illuminating dreams of warmth, love, and comfort. Each flicker reveals visions of happiness, drawing her into a realm of hope despite her harsh reality. Ultimately, the tale captures the themes of longing, compassion, and the tragic beauty of innocence. [Generated by language model - please report any problems].
This book is part of a book series called Mini Minedition Books .
This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published in 2010 by mineditionUS .
Anthea Bellwas awarded the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and the Helen and Kurt Wolff Prize (USA) in 2002 for her translation of W. G. Sebald's Austerlitz . Her many works of translation from French and German (for which she has received several other awards) include the Nicholas books and, with Derek Hockridge, the entire Asterix the Gaul saga by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was a Danish author and poet, most famous for his writing down of many timeless, classic fairy tales. He is Denmark's most famous author and his birthday is celebrated every year with a part called "Odin Story Day". Kveta Pacovska, born in Prague in 1928, is one of the greats of modern book illustration. In 1992, she won the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest and most prestigious international award for children's book authors and illustrators.
This book contains the following story:
The Little Match Girl
On a cold New Year's Eve, a poor girl tries to sell matches in the street. She is already shivering from cold and early hypothermia. Still she is afraid to go home because her father will beat her for not selling any matches. She shelters in a nook and sits down. The girl lights the matches to warm herself. In their glow, she sees several lovely visions including a Christmas tree and a holiday feast. The girl looks skyward and sees a shooting star; she then remembers her dead grandmother saying that such a falling star means someone is dying and is going to Heaven. As she lights the next match, she sees a vision of her grandmother, the only person to have treated her with love and kindness. She strikes one match after another to keep the vision of her grandmother alive for as long as she can. Running out of matches, the child dies and her grandmother carries her soul to Heaven. The next morning, passers-by find the child dead in the nook and feel pity for her.
