The Little Match Girl

Rating:
Summary: Touching story by one of the Masters.
Review: It is a good story told by none other than the storyteller,Hans Christian Anderson. This book is nicely illustrated too. But, I hope the reviewers don't reveal all the plot for those who have not read it yet.

Rating:
Summary: Fairy Tales are not of Walt Disney
Review: Their from authors who teach us the truth. Only Disney changes them and makes all the endings happy. Happily Ever After-that is a fairy tale all in itself. I read this when I was 6 or so. I felt said for her too like every one else did. I tried to save a dumped kitty in this horrible snow storm. I don't think she made it so I bought this book to comfort me. I'm 42 and when it snows I imagine the older sick people with hypothermia and a late bill for heat. That is creul. I think that this book makes you understand death is not cruel, the people are. Death is a better place to be, rejoiced and released of suffering. I think it should be for teens. Not for anyone younger, a good way to start to learn sympathy and empathy. You can not deny this happens.

Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Book
Review: This book is very sad, but it has beautiful pictures. It can make young children cry at some times. This girl had to sell matches, and if she didn't she couldn't go home because her father would beat her. It took place at Christmas time, so it was very, very cold. The little girl sat between two houses and lit a match. The first match lit up a big iron stove. The next match revealed a beautiful Christmas dinner. The last one revealed a beautiful Christmas tree. This story is one of my favorite stories because it has beautiful drawings and it teaches you a lesson. The lesson is that some people don't have it as good as you so you should always help them.

Rating:
Summary: THE SADDEST CHRISTMAS STORY IN CREATION
Review: This is a story that has made me misty eyed since I was 5. I first read this story my 5th Christmas. It appeared in a Christmas magazine and to this very day it always makes me more than just a little misty eyed.

An unnamed girl is sent into the cold, cruel city to sell matches by her equally cold, cruel father. She turns her income over to him and he beats her when he feels she has not sold enough matches.

One night the girl, frozen to the bone, lights a match. A glorious Christmas tree appears, bright and blazing. That vision vanishes along with the match when it burns out.

The second match she lights shows a splendid holiday feast -- a Feast of Illusions. This, too, fades away when the match burns out.

The final match she lights reveals her beloved, deceased grandmother. The girl runs to her, never to return to the cold city streets.

The next morning, she is found, frozen to death in the street. This story gets to me every single time. I would never be able to read it aloud because it is just too sad.

Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Book
Review: This review pertains to the book with artwork by Rachel Isadora only. ISBN: 0-399-21336-8. For some reason, Amazon continues to publish this review under the wrong book, one that does not feature artwork by Rachel Isadora, even though I pointed this out to them.

This book is a verbatim retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale. The story is not embellished or changed in any way. The tale is illustrated with "luminous paintings, capturing the mood of a snowy Victorian winter..." (from the book jacket blurb).

Since the tale is only one and a half pages long, that makes for a slim book. The odd pages feature a paragraph of text , about three sentences, while the even pages feature a painting illustrating the text. About 13 paintings.

The book is hardcovered with two additional paintings, and you get a paper book cover mirroring those two paintings and the bonus blurb.

I can't see reading this story to a child. It's just too dismal. You can't read it without crying. It's an adult topic and an adult treatment. The powerful story is designed to make an adult think and reexamine his behaviour.

I rated the paintings with only three stars because they're good enough, but did not blow me away. The cover painting that you see here on the web site is a good example of the quality and style of the paintings.

Rating:
Summary: Very touching story
Review: This story is about a little girl who tries to sell matches to people in the streets in order to make money for her family. One day her father was furious for the lack of funds his daughter was bringing home. He ordered her to stay out on the streets and not return home unless she had sold her matches. After walking around in the freezing cold and snow she was scared to go home and be beaten when she had not sold the required amount of matches to return home. She tucked herself into a corner and rested. After feeling the bitter cold and snow the little girl decided to light matches in an effort to stay warm. With each match she lit a magical vision appeared. With each match the little girl saw warm loving Christmas scenes. Some of the scenes were a feast, a fireplace and finally a warm memory of her grandmother. With this memory and loving scene the little match girl was brave and comforted. Soon the warm comfort of her grandmother allowed her to be comfortable and whisked her away to heaven.
The author wanted everyone to believe in happy memories and warm thoughts no matter what emotional state you are in, or whatever social class or size. This is a wonderful story with beautiful pictures that just help the authors' words in describing the warm feelings. You actually can feel the warmth of the little girls visions through the matches.
I love this story. It gets me choked up when I read it. But the little girl was so peaceful when she left to be in heaven with her loving grandmother. Everyone's wish is to be loved no matter where you are in life, simply to be loved and filled with warmth.

Rating:
Summary: What Would You Do?
Review: What would you do if you saw a little girl with bare feet and tattered clothing? Would you help her out and buy the matches she was selling? Would you just pass by her and never thing twice about it? Most people would just pass her by. That is what happed to this little Match Girl. No one helped her out and unimaginable things happened to her. Read the story and find out what happens.
I think the message that this story is trying to give is that you shouldn't just pass up the chance to help out people that are in need. For example, in this story the little girl was very poor. If she didn't bring home some money, her fater would beet her. You should try to help out people when you can. What if that person was you? You would want to get helped, right?