Hans Christian Andersen wrote The Snow Queen in 1844. It is a beloved tale, perhaps not know to modern day middle graders. A nice two-page introduction sets up the story and from there it takes off. The remaining pages are all in color with a comic book feel.
The cast of characters are varied from Gerta and Kay to various animals and of course the Snow Queen. The drawings focus mostly on faces, showing the emotional struggles and scariness as the tale unfolds. Well done indeed.
Graphic novels have no problem finding young readers and this one will for sure have a line of them waiting to read. It was in fact the inspiration for Disney’s Frozen.
The Official Plot (From Barnes & Noble)
Dark Tales: The Snow Queen Seven vignettes in a graphic novel format make up Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen, which depicts the struggle between good and evil. More than 100 pages of illustrated action and adventure await! A demon creates a magic mirror that reflects negative thoughts. His minions break it, and shards of the mirror get into the hearts and eyes of citizens all over the land. Gerda’s friend Kay is affected, and is lured away by the Snow Queen to become her palace slave. Follow Gerda’s adventures in her quest to rescue her friend and restore his compassion!
Canterbury Classics has wisely brought other classic stories into their Dark Tales series. Take a closer look:
Dark Tales: Beauty and the Beast: This modern retelling of the classic fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast is told here in a graphic novel format. More than 100 pages of illustrated action, adventure, and love teach a lesson to look beyond the surface and learn to love what’s underneath. A merchant takes shelter in a castle during a thunderstorm, and ends up striking a bargain with its beastly master. His youngest daughter, Beauty, returns to the castle to live in exchange for a restoration of the family’s previous wealth. Beauty befriends Beast, but longs to see her family again. He allows her to visit her former home, but when she doesn’t return at the designated time, consequences ensue.
Dark Tales: The Call of Cthulhu H. P. Lovecraft’s story of supernatural monsters deep in the Pacific, told in graphic novel format, will keep you on the edge of your seat. More than 100 pages of illustrated horror and adventure await! Henry Wilcox can’t ignore his dreams of an enormous green monster calling to him from an underwater alien city. He seeks the help of Professor Angell, who dies suddenly, leaving a box of research on the subject for his nephew, Francis. Francis seeks answers about his uncle’s death, and in the process uncovers evidence of a cult waiting for the Great Old Ones to return.
Dark Tales: The Hound of the Baskervilles This classic “whodunit” story with the famous Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson is now told in graphic novel format. More than 100 pages of illustrated action and adventure! Sir Charles Baskerville, master of the Baskerville estate, is found dead at the gates with a look of horror on his face. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are called in to investigate the possibility of foul play. After several false leads, they solve the mystery and reveal the truth.
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Always in the Middle... 
The Dark Tales remind me of the stories we used to read as children. Great they are being brought back!
My daughter did a staged version of The Snow Queen a couple years ago. It really is a dark tale. I’m sure kids will gobble up these graphic novels. Thanks for telling me about them.
I freaking LOVE graphic novels! I seriously need to read more of them. Plus, I love The Snow Queen. It’s so *cool* that they did all these other classics too! Thanks for the review 😛