Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense, Denmark on 2 April 1805. His father was Hans Andersen, a shoemaker. His mother was Anne Marie Andersdatter, a laundress. Andersen was an only and a spoiled child. He shared a love of books with his father. His father read him "The Arabian Nights" and the fables of Jean de la Fontaine. Together, they built panoramas, pop-up pictures, and toy theatres. Father and son took long walks into the countryside.