I've never read The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I picked this book up because I've enjoyed other works by Gregory Maguire and this seemed like a quick read, which is what I was in search of at the time. I wasn't disappointed at all. The story itself is fascinating and makes you want to keep reading. It is one of those stories that awakens gratitude (or at least it should!). It was equal parts entertaining and heartbreaking. ( )

Filed with Christmas Stories

Retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen story. Illustrations on every other page. A little boy lives with his mother who is a seamstress for the queen. And a little girl who passes trying to sell matches on the street. ( )

Short rewrite of The Little Matchgirl without the depth of sadness and bleakness present in the original. I was always moved as a child by this tale, but this version did not elicit a strong response in me. ( )

This was really a great story. Maguire didn't take away from the original story and did a good job with making a new story in it. I bought this for 1.00 and it was worth the full price. ( )