Once upon a Time there was a Fairytale

Der var engang et eventyr

Tradition meets the present and fun meets seriousness when the tropes from classic fairy tales come to life in the reality of children and young people in the year 2026. Suitable as reading aloud for 6+ and reading alone from 9-14 years.

Lars Daneskov (b. 1963) is a journalist and author and has written about 30 books in a variety of genres, for both children and adults.

Thomas Hjorthaab is a well-known Danish children's book illustrator whose art style is known to be funny, punk and bursting with emotion.

Once upon a Time there was a Fairytale

Der var engang et eventyr

Lars Daneskov

Thomas Hjorthaab

Lars Daneskov (b. 1963) is a journalist and author and has written about 30 books in a variety of genres, for both children and adults.

Thomas Hjorthaab is a well-known Danish children's book illustrator whose art style is known to be funny, punk and bursting with emotion.

Synopsis

Once upon a time... and to this day. Ugly maidens, suitors on mountain bikes and an emperor with new knick-knacks are just some of the people we meet in this humorous collection of nine fairy tales, which also touches on themes such as young people's self-esteem, anxiety, social media, beauty ideals and artificial intelligence.

Illustrator Thomas Hjorthaab delivers his own raving interpretation of the fairy tales with his usual humor and wildness in the form of black and white illustrations full of detail.

Reviews

"Nine funny and razor-sharp stories that, with the fairy tale as a frame and tone, scratch the reality of children and young people and touch on themes such as artificial intelligence, self-esteem and anxiety. Lars Daneskov writes with a linguistic surplus that, together with the many small references to classic fairy tales and Thomas Hjorthaab's babbling scrawl and detailed drawings, makes this book one you can laugh at, think about and dive into." – (Library review (lektørudtalelse)