The little mermaid and other fairy tales - H. C Andersen

The Little Mermaid' is one of the most haunting stories ever written. Its author, Hans Christian Andersen, made the literary fairy tale so much his own that even today no writer has surpassed him. This collection - with sparkling new renderings of the tales by Neil Philip - includes not just 'The Little Mermaid' but also such favourites as 'The Tinderbox', 'The Emperor's New Clothes', 'The Steadfast Tin Soldier' and 'The Little Match Girl'. Also included are some lesser-known tales that reflect different facets of Andersen's genius, such as the tall tale 'The Flying Trunk', with its witty story-within-a-story, and the comic fable 'The Collar', and a story about the magic of everyday reality, 'The Gardener and His Master'.

The book is illustrated throughout by Isabelle Brent's magical water-colours, lavishly embellished with gold leaf, making this handsome volume a book the whole family will treasure.