The Steadfast Tin Soldier - Hardcover

Sophie Allsopp has been illustrating children's books for twenty years. Previous titles for Templar are The Ballerina's Handbook and The Steadfast Tin Soldier. Sophie Allsopp has been illustrating children's books for twenty years. Previous titles for Templar are The Ballerina's Handbook and The Steadfast Tin Soldier.

The masterful pastel illustrations that distinguished the artist's Caldecott Honor-winning Puss in Boots transform yet another timeless tale into a modern classic. This graceful retelling of Andersen's touching story of true love between a malformed toy soldier and a paper ballerina is charged with both romance and heroism. Alternating perspectives achieve striking visual effect--toys and animals loom large as seen through the stoic vision of the brave soldier; at other points during his perilous journey he appears as a mere sliver of blue and red amid the city's bustle. The soft glow of candlelight imparts a shadowy warmth to the interior scenes, which feature a gaggle of handsomely turned out children admiring their Christmas bounty. Seidler's ( A Rat's Tale ; The Tar Pit ) polished prose perfectly complements the artwork: "The tin soldier was so touched that he would have shed tin tears--if he hadn't been in uniform. As it was, he just looked at her, and she looked at him, neither of them saying a word." Though perfect for the holiday season, this exquisite book may well stay on the shelf year-round. All ages.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.