A retelling, accompanied by a brief history, of the two well-known tales in the first of which a young mermaid trades her tail for human legs and, in the second, a young girl proves that she is a real princess.

Simple text and captivating illustrations are paired with beautiful music and fun sound-effects to help tell the classic tale of "The Princess and the Pea." Prince Fastidious travels the world to find his perfect princess. But something is not quite right about any of them. They either talk too much, or not at all. Some are too old for him, or too young. Others are spoiled or have too many noisy, little dogs. Find out what happens when Princess Rose accidentally comes to the castle at night because of a fierce storm. How does she prove to the Queen that she’s a real princess? A happy ending adds interest to this fairy tale and encourages a lifelong love for reading.

A prince seeking a true princess, an emperor in love with his wardrobe, a romantic tin soldier standing firmly at attention, and a bird whose song is so lovely even death cannot resist it: these are a characters whose stories have made Hans Christian Andersen one of the world's most enduring storytellers for children. This collection of Andersen's best short stories combines the world-famous translation of H.B. Paull with two sets of classic illustrations, the engravings of Vilhelm Pedersen from the original Danish edition and Helen Stratton's illustrations from "The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen." Both sets provide a beautiful and dramatic visual compliment to these charming and memorable tales. Also included are notes with pronunciations and definitions of some words that may be unfamiliar to grade school readers.

A first novelty book about The Princess and the Pea with push, pull and slide mechanisms

Thumbelina -- The princess and the pea -- The snow queen -- The brave tin soldier -- The Emperor's new suit -- The little match girl -- The little mermaid -- The Christmas tree

Thirteen engaging tales exuding originality, whimsy and humor — among them "Great Claus and Little Claus," "The Ugly Duckling," "The Red Shoes," "Thumbelina," and the title story.