The Snow Queen

Quick Look

• Award-winning author Bette Westera expertly retells a beloved fairy tale for a modern readership
• Told in short episodic chapters -- perfect for shared reading at bedtime
• A tale of friendship, persistence, and the kindness of strangers
• Aida De Jong's stunning illustrations are full of life, wonder and winter magic

When Arne falls under the spell of the powerful Snow Queen, his best friend Janna embarks on a quest to the far north to rescue him. A fresh retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, with warm illustrations.

Description

Best friends Arne and Janna live on neighbouring farms and spend their days working and playing together. But everything changes when a splinter of magic mirror chills Arne's heart and he falls under the spell of the powerful but icy Snow Queen, who whisks him away to her palace.

Determined to rescue her friend, Janna begins an adventure to the frosty far north. Along the way she encounters a prince and princess, a crow that speaks in riddles, a band of robbers, a helpful reindeer and a kind Sami woman. But what will she find when she reaches her journey's end? Can friendship melt Arne's frozen heart and set him free?

This is a fresh and magical retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale by award-winning author Bette Westera, which is brought to life with warm, colourful illustrations from artist Aida De Jong. Beautifully presented and engagingly retold for today's children, this new edition of a much-loved tale will captivate a whole new generation of readers.

Table of Contents

Seven Special Parcels Part One P.9
The first Saturday: The Story of The Magic Mirror P.13
The second Saturday: The Story of The Rose P.17
The third Saturday: The Story of The Red Blanket P.23
The fourth Saturday: The Story of The Silver Sled P.29
The fifth Saturday: The Story of The Sword P.39
The sixth Saturday: The Story of The Reindeer-Fur Hat P.45
The seventh Saturday: The Story of The Mirror Splinter P.51
The night of the seventh Saturday: Heading Home P.57
Sunday: Seven Special Parcels Part Two P.60

Reviews

'Colorful, detailed illustrations accompany the text, capturing young readers' attention. Fans of fairy tale storytelling will enjoy the design and delivery of this book.'
-- Mary Lanni Reads (YouTube)

Author

Bette Westera is an award-winning Dutch children's writer. She has published over 130 books for children and her writing has been widely translated. In 2020, Bette's poetry collection Dead Normal won The Netherlands' long-running and prestigious Gouden Griffel (Golden Pencil) award for children's literature. When not writing, Bette enjoys spending time with her three children and four grandchildren. She lives in Amersfoort, The Netherlands, with her husband.

Aida De Jong is a Dutch illustrator, designer and teacher. She studied Illustration and Fine Art at Utrecht School of the Arts, and she finds her inspiration in nature, folklore and history. Aida has illustrated several children's books and lives in Gouda in the Netherlands.

David Colmer is an award-winning Australian translator of Dutch poetry and prose. His work has been awarded the Vondel Prize, the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, among many other honours. He lives in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.