Those who follow Mr. Anno on this delightful journey through Denmark will discover a land of sunny dunes, Viking ruins, colorful seaports, Shakespeare's Hamlet and his father's ghost, and fairy tale characters in every scene.
For Denmark is the magical land of Hans Christian Andersen, where mermaids fall in love with princes, where emperors parade naked, and where ugly ducklings turn into swans. Tiny Thumbelina, the Steadfast Tin Soldier, and the Nightingale are just a few of the beloved characters depicted here. So taken was Mr. Anno with the power of Andersen's Fairy Tales, that he visited the author's birthplace many times and credited Andersen with a turning point in his artistic career.
As a loving homage to one of the world's greatest storytellers, Mitsumasa Anno has created in Anno's Denmark a work of joy, humor, and whimsy. Now available for the first time with Mr. Anno's delightful notes about each scene translated from Japanese to English.
About the Author:
Mitsumasa Anno is the winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award for his lasting contribution to children's literature, and is a lover of travel and culture. Anno's books, through their unique perspective and mischievous sense of humor, have opened to children across the world, cultures and lands distant from their own. Without words Anno conveys the beauty, humanity, and value of all people in all times and places. As he notes, "There are differences in people, different styles of housing, social differences, different cultures all over the world. But perhaps what lies at the bottom of the heart of each human being is the same, an inherent value."
Born in Tsuwano in 1926, in Western Japan, Mr. Anno studied both art and mathematics before teaching mathematics at a school in Tokyo for ten years. He has written and illustrated over 20 books for children. He makes his home in a suburb of Tokyo. He is married and has two children.
