The tree in The Tinderbox is a real tree that you can find in the King’s Garden in Odense. It is located very close to Odense Castle, where Hans Christian Andersen as a child played with Prince Frits, the later King Frederik VII of Denmark.
So if you are in Odense, go on a search for the tree from The Tinderbox – however, there is not a hole in the top of the tree as in the fairy tale, but the tree stands exactly where Hans Christian Andersen was running and playing.

There are up til 1.000 references to Hans Christian Andersen’s own life, work and contemporaries in Købke’s fairy tale book, so that both children, adults and Hans Christian Andersen experts will be able to get something very special out of this drawing.

The book has been published in 8 languages – andKøbke has received The Hans Christian Andersen Award 2017 and The Numskull Jack Award 2016 for the book, in which this fairytale drawing of the crying Shepherdess is included.

The Hans Christian Andersen Award that Købke has received has also previously been received by e.g. Johannes Møllehave, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Ghita Nørby, Günter Grass, Ib Spang-Olsen and others.