Hans Christian Andersen, right, with an unidentified child

Hans Christian Andersen

Master storyteller remembered

April 2, 1998
Web posted at: 5:25 p.m. EDT (1725 GMT)

(CNN) -- Hans Christian Andersen, Denmark's renowned author and storyteller, is remembered on his birthday with a special event, The International Children's Book Day. Andersen wrote more than 150 fairy tales, many of which are considered classics.

The day is sponsored by the International Board on Books for Young People in Switzerland, which was established in 1956 to recognize children's literature internationally.

Once every two years, the board awards the Hans Christian Andersen Medal to authors and illustrators from all over the world for their entire body of work.

Andersen was born in 1805 and turned to writing fulltime after a failed acting career. His poetry caught the attention of King Frederick VI, who would become one of Andersen's most lucrative patrons.

Andersen wrote a novel in 1835, "The Improvisatore" but it was his later fairy tales that would establish him as a master storyteller. His stories are sometimes dark, but his powerful sense of fantasy and sensitivity are what make him stand apart.

He died in Copenhagen, Denmark on August 4, 1875.

Selected Works:

• "The Princess and the Pea" 1835
• "Thumbelina" 1835
• "The Emperor's New Suit" 1837
• "The Ugly Duckling" 1844
• "The Snow Queen" 1845
• "The Red Shoes" 1845
• "The Little Match Girl" 1846

Related sites:

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• Hans Christian Andersen Medals
• Hans Christian Andersen - Fairy tales and stories

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

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