The Red Shoes by Hans Christian Andersen

I'm going through this phase of re-collecting all these children's books that I chucked out in a fit of unsentimentality several years ago. But this is one book I never actually read. The synopsis (according to Barnes & Noble):

As is true of many Hans Christian Andersen stories, there is a dark edge to this tale. Karen longs for a pair of red shoes she spies in town, and hoards her pennies. Soon, her simple pleasures are forgotten, consumed by her fantasies about the fabulous shoes. Finally, she wears them to a great ball and learns that the shoes have truly come to control her as they had controlled her thoughts. Dancing endlessly, she endures the elements and another encounter with the malevolent shoemaker who fashioned the shoes. Will the spell be broken? Detailed illustrations convey Karen's descent into fantasy and deepening distress.

Hmmm...I see parallels with my own periodic spending sprees! I go window shopping, spot something I LOVE, obsess about it for days, decide "what the heck" and buy it, and then the cycle just repeats itself...(I'm being really good right now though, cross my heart and hope to die!)

This new version of The Red Shoes is illustrated beautifully by artist Sun Young Yoo. How precious is the cover?

Maybe it can join Madeleine, Olivia and Eloise on my bookshelf!

Photo credits: http://www.barnesandnoble.com