The Amazing Paper Cuttings of Hans Christian Andersen - Softcover

Brust, Beth Wagner

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0618311092 ISBN 13: 9780618311095

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2003

Synopsis

Hans Christian Andersen, the Danish storyteller whose fairy tales are known all over the world, was also a gifted artist. He made hundreds, perhaps thousands, of paper cuttings of swans, clowns, toy theaters, windmills, angels, and other whimsical images. Often he made the paper cuttings while telling a story, then gave them to the children listening to him. In this inspired biography, Beth Wagner Brust tells the story of Andersen as an artist who used his many talents to escape the poverty into which he was born and who entertained others with not only his famous stories but also his innovative and original art.

About this title

About the Author:

Beth Wagner Brust first discovered Andersen’s paper cuttings at the Hans Christian Andersen Museum in Odense, Denmark. When she learned that many of them had been made as presents for young people, she decided to tell the story of Andersen as an artist. She lives in California.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5 Up-As a storyteller, Andersen relied on simple language and dramatic gestures to tap the imagination of his listeners. Sometimes, it seems, he also supplemented his tellings with the making of paper cuttings, a popular craft in the mid-19th century. Brust provides a skeleton biography of Andersen using anecdotal reports of some of the occasions when he employed his handicraft to entertain children, capture a scene during his travels, and even as a sort of universal language when in a foreign country. The more than 20 reproductions demonstrate his imaginative use of materials. While none illustrate any of his stories, many cuttings demonstrate his skill in liberating intricate shapes and in designing complex, interlocking compositions. Nevertheless, the use of "amazing" in the title is a bit of an exaggeration. Rather, the book's value is in showing a little-known facet of the man's personality. The writing is direct and informative and uses quotations from letters and diaries to spice up the simple prose; the chapter on the art of paper cutting is a useful presentation of the technical processes. An unusual book that combines biography and creativity.
Kenneth Marantz, Art Education Department, Ohio State University, Columbus
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0618311092
• ISBN 13: 9780618311095
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 80
• Illustrator: Anderson Hans Christian