Hans Christian Andersen’s mother was a laundress in Odense. So every day she stood by, and in, the small river of Odense, washing clothes – and it was a cold job, very cold even. Because clothes had to be washed all year round. So to keep warm, Andersen’s mother resorted to alcohol.
Unfortunately, the alcohol ended up killing her already in 1833 – and thus she never got to experience the fame her son received after he published his first collection of fairy tales ‘Fairy Tales Told for Children’ in 1835.

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.