Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales: Styles Brainstorming

Topic

I have decided to do my Storybook over famous fairy tales from Hans Christian Andersen stories. He wrote so many incredible fairy tales that I have only briefly heard about. We have heard many of the names, but mainly through Disney. His stories are not quite what we remember from our childhood, which is why I am fascinated by them. They are not what we imagine fairy tales to be. Some are not happy tales and do not have your so-called "happy endings." My goal is to find four of his stories from his page Hans Christian Andersen: Fairy Tales and Stories, and give them a different spin that you aren't expecting.

Bibliography

1. Little Tiny or Thumbelina by Hans Christian Anderson (1835). Web source: Hans Christian Andersen: Fairy Tales and Stories. 

Hans Christian Andersen

(Source: Pixabay)

Possible Styles

1. I think there are a lot of ways fairy tales can be told! The one I think of first is an actual storyteller telling the story. In some movies or fables you will hear a narrator telling the story from their point of view. I think it would be neat to have all of the stories be told by a grandfather reading to his grandchildren. Grandparents reading and teaching their grandchildren values and life lessons seem like a cute way to do my storytelling. I have a grandpa who still to this day loves telling me stories and they usually have a bit more meaning coming from someone whom I love and respect. Each of the stories could be read slightly different, with a few interjections from the children and the grandfather himself.

2. The second way I would like to tell my stories is from a central character. I would choose one character from one of the four stories and he or she would tell the different stories from ow they remember hearing it. Stories that are spread from mouth to mouth are different than when they are written down and then read. 

3. Since Hans Christian Andersen is such an important part of my storytelling project, I think he should be included in the storytelling portion. The picture above gave me the image of Andersen coming alive in central park and telling his stories to the animals that come to the park at night. Since he is the author, the stories would have more feeling coming from him.

4. The fourth way I might like to tell my story is through a town celebration of Hans Christian Andersen stories. I read in Wikipedia that Andersen was born on April 2 in Odense, Funen, Kingdom of Denmark. Every April 2nd, the town would have a major celebration in honor of Andersen. Children from the town would bring their favorite stories with them and if their names were called, then they would have the opportunity to read their story. Each one would be a surprise.