THE AMAZING PAPER CUTTINGS OF HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

A fine short biography with an unusual focus: Andersen made hundreds (perhaps thousands) of whimsical, intricate paper cuttings incorporating many of the same images that appeared in his fairy tales—swans, princesses, angels, castles, dancers. Cut freehand with an enormous pair of scissors, usually from plain white paper, many of these creations were made while Andersen held audiences spellbound with his storytelling. A surprising number survive; 33 are illustrated here. Brust finds parallels between Andersen's literary innovations and the unconventionality of his paper cuttings, so different from the black silhouette portraiture that was popular at the time. Clearly and gracefully written, a fascinating introduction to a little-known aspect of Andersen's talent and an excellent resource for extending a literature unit into art. Meticulous captioning, detailed indexing, and an extensive bibliography (with some sources accessible to young readers) are welcome signs of high scholarly standards; the volume's elegant design is by David Saylor. (Biography. 7-11)