''The Little Match Girl'' is a 1999 adaptation of the classic

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales, consisti ...

story by

Jerry Pinkney Jerry Pinkney (December 22, 1939 – October 20, 2021) was an American illustrator and writer of children's literature. Pinkney illustrated over 100 books since 1964, including picture books, nonfiction titles and novels. Pinkney's works addresse ...

. It is about a girl who is a

street vendor A hawker is a vendor of merchandise that can be easily transported; the term is roughly synonymous with costermonger or peddler. In most places where the term is used, a hawker sells inexpensive goods, handicrafts, or food items. Whether stationa ...

of artificial flowers and matches in a city during the early twentieth century and rather than returning home, as she hasn't made any sales, lights her matches to keep warm, sees wonderful

visions Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain un ...

, then dies and goes to

heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

Reception

'' Booklist'', in a starred review of ''The Little Match Girl'', wrote "The illustration of the match girl presents a challenge for artists, but Pinkney's interpretation is impressive." and "Because of the book's somber tone, some parents may object to the book's placement on the picture-book shelves, as CIP recommends. However, this is a beautifully illustrated version of a classic tale." '' School Library Journal'' wrote "There aren't too many versions of this somewhat maudlin tale available-if you need one, this is the one to buy." and '' The Horn Book Magazine'' found it "gracefully adapted". '' Publishers Weekly'' also gave a starred review and called it "A faithful retelling of a classic tale.." and "as transcendent as Andersen's." In addition, ''The Little Match Girl'' has been reviewed by ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'', and the '' Chicago Tribune''.

Awards

*1999 Parents' Choice Picture Books Award - Gold Award *2000 Notable Social Studies Trade Books For Young People: Folktales, Myths and Legends - Selectors' Choice

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Little Match Girl (Pinkney book), The 1999 children's books Works based on The Little Match Girl Picture books by Jerry Pinkney Picture books based on fairy tales American picture books

Reception

Awards

See also

References