Thumbelina ANNOTATION
After being kidnapped by an ugly toad, a beautiful girl no bigger than a thumb has a series of dreadful experiences before meeting a fairy prince just her size.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Once upon a time there was a woman who was sad because she had no children. One day she planted a magic seed and from the seed grew a flower. Inside the flower was a tiny, exquisite girl no bigger than the woman's thumb. Her name was Thumbelina.
The two lived happily together until an ugly old toad snuck in and snatched Thumbelina away. So began Thumbelina's adventures in a world full of dangers for little people. Luckily, size isn't all that matters, and Thumbelina's kindness and courage bring her long-lasting happiness.
SYNOPSIS
The Danish dreamweaver's story of the tiny girl no bigger than a thumb is provided here in its entirety, but the book's squarish design, in which the text is presented in solid blocks, draws the reader's attention to the exceptional art. Lovely, lean, lithe lines combine with a palette of tawny earth tones to create a minimalist world redolent with grace and rich with imagination.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Two-time Caldecott Honor artist Pinkney (The Faithful Friend; Duke Ellington) presents a visually snappy adaptation of this Hans Christian Andersen tale. Rendered in colored inks on clay board, the wispy art accentuates the natural setting among pond reeds and flower stalks, and features a sunny palette punctuated by electric hues. This Thumbelina, a black child who springs from a gold and flame-red blossom, spends her days floating on a tulip petal, "rowing on a little lake that was really a bowl of water decorated with flowers." In a rather choppy narrative, the author chronicles the tiny heroine's adventures after she is kidnapped by a toad (who sports a gaily patterned kerchief and has spectacles perched on her nose). Pinkney whimsically depicts the animal friends who in turn help Thumbelina escape from her captors, offer her shelter and whisk her away from the mole fianc she does not love into the arms of the dashing, equally diminutive king of the flower people. Despite some stilted prose (e.g., "Thumbelina was glad to agree"), the imaginative illustrations gives this chestnut a fresh look. Ages 4-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Children's Literature - Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D.
Thumbelina enjoys rowing her tulip petal boat in a bowl of water and sleeping in a polished walnut shell. But one night while she is sleeping a toad steals her away with the intent of having her for a daughter-in-law. Thumbelina escapes that fate with the help of some fish and a butterfly, only to find herself lost in the woods. A kindly field mouse takes her in when winter arrives and then begins planning for Thumbelina to marry her neighbor, the mole. A bird that Thumbelina has befriended saves her just in time and flies her to a beautiful field of flowers. The flower people welcome her and the flower king asks her to be his bride. Charming, full-color illustrations fill the pages. Thumbelina's small size is accentuated as she is shown tiny and dainty next the frog, the mouse, and the mole. These lovely illustrations bring new life to this familiar tale. 2003, Greenwillow Books, Ages 6 to 11.
Children's Literature - Mary Quattlebaum
The idea of teeny-tiny people enchanted me as a kid and I loved reading about Thumbelina, the girl who sprouted in a flowerpot and had to brave the huge, dangerous world before finding happiness with others her size. Erik Haugaard's unabridged translation of Hans Christian Anderson's Thumbelina captures the magical, musical quality of the original, with Arlene Graston's pastel-hued illustrations a lovely accompaniment.
Children's Literature - Deborah Zink Roffino
Hans Christian Anderson's poignant tale of a tiny girl kidnapped and trapped in the woods is retold here, flushed with violet-hued watercolors. Dizzying perspectives magnify wee Thumbelina's travails in the enormous world around her. Descriptive language breathes life into the adventures as she escapes her many captors and finally meets a whole society of folks her size.
Children's Literature - Childrens Literature
This is a sweet and gentle retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's well-known tale of a thumb size young girl who appears magically in a flower. In her adventures she is captured by a mother toad, a June bug, and survives the winter by staying with a field mouse. Finally, she is delivered from marrying a grumpy mole by a cheerful sparrow and transported to happiness in the kingdom of flowers. The pastel-toned pictures complement this retelling, however it lacks excitement and Thumbeline desperately needs some gumption. In an age where girls are encouraged to be creative, energetic and intelligent in order to reach their goals, Thumbeline is a bland role model. Previously released in 1980 in Switzerland, this retelling would make a good calm bedtime story. Librarians may want to add this to their collection, if only to compare it with other versions of this familiar fairy tale. 2000, (orig. 1980), North-South Books, Ages 5 to 10, $15.95. Reviewer: Wendy Pollock-Gilson—Children's Literature
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