Matthews has simplified the story lines and modernised the language of 11 familiar Andersen tales. His style is conversational and lively, and he avoids the use of slang. Snow's cartoon illustrations create a feeling of bumptious good humour and are well integrated throughout the text, varying from small pictures in the middle of a page, to full-page spreads. This lighthearted approach of both text and pictures is somewhat at odds with the irony and tragedy of tales such as "The Pig Boy," "The Little Mermaid," and "The Steadfast Tin Soldier." It works best with the more amusing "Princess and the Pea" and "The Emperor's New Clothes." Unfortunately, the emperor is shown on the cover, the title page, and in the book wearing boxer shorts, though he is referred to as naked, a minor distortion, yet one that stands out. In condensing the tales, the layers of meaning and emotion in the originals are lost. Still, Matthew's edition, with its large clear type and generous margins, is open and inviting. It is attractive to young readers to the tales, and it does provide a serviceable first reading of the familiar classics.