Just as trees have roots and rivers have sources, when children worldwide draw wisdom and joy from Andersen’s fairy tales, how can we not ponder a profound question: Where did Andersen’s vast, magnificent wisdom and oceanic creativity originate? Undoubtedly, life begins in childhood. The beautiful emotions of childhood form the fountainhead of lifelong happiness, and childhood experiences lay the foundation for lifelong dreams. Tracing Andersen’s growth journey, we arrive at a Danish family of a cobbler father and a washerwoman mother. By worldly standards, in such an impoverished household, merely keeping a child fed and clothed would already be a struggle—how could aesthetics and creativity be nurtured? Yet Hans the cobbler and Anna the washerwoman, overflowing with love and extraordinary vision, accompanied their son through hardship with optimistic spirits. They persistently read him literary classics, shared folktales, engaged him in imaginative play, and kindled his boundless creativity and compassionate spirit.
Where sincerity reaches, miracles unfold. Nourished by artistic and literary richness, young Andersen learned love and embraced colorful dreams. This beautiful childhood charted his life’s course, destined to create an enchanting fairy tale kingdom for children worldwide. Though over two centuries have passed, our reverence for Andersen’s parents grows ever deeper. Without their devoted nurturing, how could Andersen’s glorious legacy exist? They stand as immortal role models for parents and educators across generations!
For these reasons, I solemnly recommend the exemplary father Hans and mother Anna to be posthumously honored with the "Special Memorial Prize" of the H.C. Andersen Teacher Award.
Awardee of the 2nd H.C. Andersen Teacher’s Award
Vice President, China Family Education Association
Member, Children’s Literature Committee, Chinese Writers Association
Researcher, China Youth & Children Research Center
Sun Yunxiao
Beijing, China
September 19, 2022
Principal Gao Jianli, winner of the ATA, presented a family portrait of H.C.Andersen created by the children from her kindergarten to the director of the H.C.Andersen Museum，Pro.Henrik Harnow.
孙云晓推荐安徒生父母为第三届“安徒生教师奖·特别纪念奖”候选人
树有根，水有源。当全世界的儿童都从安徒生童话里汲取智慧与快乐的时候，我们怎能不思索一个神奇的问题：安徒生那大海一样浩瀚瑰丽的智慧与快乐来自何方？毫无疑问，人生始于童年，童年的美好情感是一生幸福快乐的源头，童年的生活体验是一生追求梦想的基础。于是，我们循着安徒生成长的轨迹，追寻到了丹麦的一个鞋匠和洗衣工的家庭。按照世俗的眼光，在这样一个生活拮据的家庭，能够让孩子吃饱饭有衣穿已经不容易了，怎么会顾及孩子的审美与创造？然而，鞋匠父亲汉斯与洗衣工母亲安娜不仅爱心满满更是独具慧眼，他们在艰辛的劳作中陪伴儿子，以积极乐观的精神影响儿子，坚持为他读文学经典，讲民间故事，做各种各样的游戏，激发其非凡的想象力与博爱的情感。精诚之至，金石为开。奇迹终于出现了！文学艺术的丰富营养让小小的安徒生懂得了爱，心中激荡着五彩的梦幻，而这样美丽的童年决定了他的人生航向，决定了他将为天下儿童创造一个迷人的童话王国！尽管岁月过去了二百余载，我们对安徒生父母的深切怀念与日俱增，如果没有他们的精心培育，怎么会有安徒生的辉煌创造？他们是全世界父母与教师的伟大榜样！基于上述理由，我愿意推荐好父亲汉斯和好母亲安娜，追授他们“安徒生教师奖”的特别纪念奖！
第二届安徒生教师奖获得者
中国家庭教育学会副会长
中国作家协会儿童文学委员会委员
中国青少年研究中心研究员
孙云晓
2022年9月19日于中国北京
