“What are Hans Christian Anderson’s Best Books?” We looked at all of Anderson’s authored bibliography and ranked them against one another to answer that very question!

We took all of the books written by Hans Christian Anderson and looked at their Goodreads, Amazon, and LibraryThing scores, ranking them against one another to see which books came out on top. The books are ranked in our list below based on which titles have the highest overall score between all 3 review sites in comparison with all of the other books by the same author. The process isn’t super scientific and in reality, most books aren’t “better” than other books as much as they are just different. That being said, we do enjoy seeing where our favorites landed, and if you aren’t familiar with the author at all, the rankings can help you see what books might be best to start with.

The full ranking chart is also included below the countdown on the bottom of the page.

Happy Scrolling!

The Top Book’s Of Hans Christian Anderson

11 ) The Wild Swans

Review Website Ranks:

• Goodreads: 11
• Amazon: 9
• LibraryThing: 10

9 ) The Ugly Duckling and Two Other Stories By Hans Christian Anderson

Review Website Ranks:

• Goodreads: 5
• Amazon: 9
• LibraryThing: 10

9 ) The Emperor’s New Clothes

Review Website Ranks:

• Goodreads: 10
• Amazon: 5
• LibraryThing: 9

This is the story of the vain emperor who is duped by a wily tailor who tells him that the clothes he makes are so glorious that they cannot be seen by fools.

8 ) The Nightingale

Review Website Ranks:

• Goodreads: 8
• Amazon: 8
• LibraryThing: 7

Though the emperor banishes the nightingale in preference for a jeweled mechanical imitation, the little bird remains faithful and returns years later when the emperor is near death and no one else can help him.

7 ) The Steadfast Tin Soldier

Review Website Ranks:

• Goodreads: 9
• Amazon: 9
• LibraryThing: 3

When Fred Marcellino’s first picture book–Puss in Boots–was published, its success was doubted. It was one of many of the same story. But Marcellino’s version won a Caldecott Honor Medal and became a bestseller for an audience of all ages. Now Marcellino turns to Andersen’s beloved story of the one-legged soldier and the paper ballerina he admires from afar.

6 ) The Little Mermaid

Review Website Ranks:

• Goodreads: 7
• Amazon: 4
• LibraryThing: 4

Illustrated with lavish, full-color art from the Disney Research Archives, this beloved classic recounts the tale of a beautiful, young mermaid who wants more than anything to become a human being and possess an immortal soul.

5 ) Andersen’s Fairy Tales

Review Website Ranks:

• Goodreads: 2
• Amazon: 5
• LibraryThing: 7

This enchanting collection, retold by writer and critic Naomi Lewis, contains twelve of Hans Christian Andersen’s magnificent stories. It includes Thumbelina, a little girl no more than a thumb-joint high, The Emperor’s New Clothes, the tale of a man who cares only for his appearance and The Little Mermaid, who longs to one day marry a human prince.

4 ) The Snow Queen

Review Website Ranks:

• Goodreads: 4
• Amazon: 2
• LibraryThing: 6

When the coldhearted Snow Queen abducts a young boy, Gerda begins a magical and perilous journey to find him and release him from the Snow Queen’s treacherous spell. Follow Gerda in this sparkling retelling of the classic fairy tale, as she sets out on her dangerous quest to the frozen north.

3 ) Thumbelina

Review Website Ranks:

• Goodreads: 5
• Amazon: 1
• LibraryThing: 5

The adventures of a tiny girl and her animal friends.

2 ) Fairy Tales

Review Website Ranks:

• Goodreads: 2
• Amazon: 5
• LibraryThing: 2

Hans Christian Andersen was the profoundly imaginative writer and storyteller who revolutionized literature for children. He gave us the now standard versions of some traditional fairy tales—with an anarchic twist—but many of his most famous tales sprang directly from his imagination.

1 ) The Complete Illustrated Stories Of Hans Christian Andersen

Review Website Ranks:

• Goodreads: 1
• Amazon: 3
• LibraryThing: 1

Hans Christian Anderson’s Best Books

Hans Christian Anderson Review Website Bibliography Rankings