All about Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen was a famous storyteller from Denmark. He was born on April 2, 1805, in a small town called Odense. When Hans was a child, he loved listening to stories and making up his own. His family was poor, and his dad passed away when Hans was just 11 years old.

Hans moved to Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, to follow his dream of becoming an actor, singer, or dancer. Things didn't go well at first, and he struggled a lot. But he never gave up. He went to school and worked very hard to improve his skills.

Hans started writing plays and poems, but he became famous for his fairy tales. He wrote many wonderful stories that children and adults still love today. Some of his most famous stories are "The Little Mermaid," "The Ugly Duckling," "The Emperor's New Clothes," and "Thumbelina." These stories have been translated into many languages and are read all over the world.

Hans Christian Andersen's stories often teach important lessons about kindness, bravery, and being true to yourself. He passed away on August 4, 1875, but his stories are still enjoyed by people everywhere. Hans showed us that even if life is tough, you can still achieve your dreams with hard work and creativity.

1. Where was Hans Christian Andersen born?
2. What did Hans want to become when he moved to Copenhagen?
3. Name two of Hans Christian Andersen's most famous stories.
4. Why do you think Hans Christian Andersen's stories are still popular today?
5. How did Hans show that you can achieve your dreams even if life is tough?

Symbols and Traditions

Hi! My name is Zoe, and I am 8 years old. I want to tell you about my super fun trip to Odense, Denmark. Odense is a really cool place because it's where Hans Christian Andersen was born. He is a famous writer who wrote lots of fairy tales that I love, like "The Little Mermaid" and "The Ugly Duckling".

When I was in Odense, we went to the Hans Christian Andersen Museum. It was so amazing! I got to see his old house and learned a lot about his life. There were lots of pictures and even some of his original books. My favorite part was a room where they had stories playing on big screens. They even had some of his stuff, like his hat and some old letters he wrote.

I also saw sculptures of characters from his stories all over the city. There was one of "The Little Mermaid" and another of "The Tinderbox" soldier. It felt like being in a real-life fairy tale! I had the best time ever and learned so much about Hans Christian Andersen. If you ever get the chance to go to Odense, you should definitely visit the museum and see all the fairy tale stuff!

1. Who is the famous writer from Odense that Zoe talks about?
2. What did Zoe see in the museum that belonged to Hans Christian Andersen?
3. Why does Zoe think Odense is a cool place?
4. How did Zoe feel about visiting the Hans Christian Andersen Museum?
5. If you could visit a place related to a famous person, who would it be and why?

Profile of Hans Christian Andersen

A Timeline of Hans Christian Andersen to another Festival

After learning all about Hans Christian Andersen, your job is to create a timeline of their life. You should add all the important events in their life but you can be inventive and add some interesting things that people might like to read about. You can make it as simply as you like with pen and paper or you can be very inventive and create a 3D diorama or hanging banner. The sky's the limit - go for it!

Slideshow - Hans Christian Andersen
A full set of teaching plans for Hans Christian Andersenteaching.