AMMO Books' adaptation of The Red Shoes, the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, beautifully comes to life as re-envisioned by artist Sun Young Yoo.


In the original fairy tale, The Red Shoes were symbolic of taboo desire that could only be erased through suffering and repentance. In contrast, this contemporary version of The Red Shoes offers a positive message to young girls that is much more in tune with our time. This adaptation focuses on the transcendent love between a mother and daughter and the key notion that perseverance, ingenuity and hard work can allow one to overcome some of the greatest obstacles in life in order to pursue one's artistic and creative dreams.


Sun Young Yoo's exquisite, labor intensive pen and ink drawings are both technically masterful and artistically stunning. Her lyrical illustrations evoke a magical world, and her unique hand-drawn style resonates today amidst a sea of computer generated art and design. The revisited story and beautiful illustrations cross genres as both a classic children's tale, and as a lovely fashion oriented art book. Young children and grown up fashionistas alike will delight in its beauty and inventiveness.