Thumbelina

by Hans Christian Andersen, The New York Times on Adam Rapp Jesse McKinley (Illustrator)

Overview

Another charming classic tale by Hans Christian Anderson that continues to delight young children everywhere. Join Thumbelina, who is no bigger than your thumb, as she travels on her adventures.
Recommended by The Gunston Trust for Nonviolence in Children's Literature. Ages 5 - 10.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781925186093
Publisher:	Big & Small
Publication date:	01/01/2015
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.40(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Hans Christian Andersen (1805~1875) produced 130 volumes of outstanding children's stories during his lifetime. Today, his stories are loved and recognized all around the world.

Hye-Won Yang majored in Industrial design and has become one of Korea's most loved children's book illustrators. Working with pastel watercolors, she has created many beautiful works.

Date of Birth:

April 2, 1805

Date of Death:

August 4, 1875

Place of Birth:

Odense, Denmark

Place of Death:

Copenhagen, Denmark

Read an Excerpt

"There once was a woman who wished for a child, but was unable to have one. So she sought help from a kind fairy.

'Take this magic seed,' said the fairy. 'Plant it in a flower-pot, and see what will happen.'

'Thank you,' the woman replied, and she went right home and planted the seed. Soon it sprouted and grew a beautiful bud. 'How lovely!' she exclaimed, giving its petals an impulsive kiss.

POOF! The bud blossomed. In the middle of the flower sat a girl as pretty and delicate as the petals and no bigger than the woman’s thumb.

The woman couldn’t believe her eyes. 'I shall call you Thumbelina,' she said joyfully."

Editorial Reviews

Reviews for Snow White and Rose Red , illustrated by Kelly Vivanco:

"The real stars of this adaptation are Kelly Vivanco's stunningly evocative and atmospheric paintings. The large illustrations add depth and substance to the story...Vivanco's muted, earth-toned palette is, in a way, reminiscent of the classic fairy tale illustrations of the great Arthur Rackham and represents a clear departure from the candy-coloured fairy tale adaptations of publishers such as Disney. This classic colour scheme is paired with Vivanco's wide-eyed and oddly proportioned characters to create a modern and visually arresting illustration style."

~ CM Magazine

"Simply gorgeous."

~ Singing Light

From the Publisher

01/01/2018
Gr 1–4—This retelling follows the tale of the tiny flower-sized girl as she hopes for meaningful companionship and someone "as tiny as she." The universal theme of not being alone in the world will resonate with all readers. The mint green cover with a peek-a-boo cutout shows a portrait of Thumbelina, eyes closed in despair, and sets the melancholy mood of this version of the famous tale. The textual adaptation is modern and clear but is secondary to Vivanco's artistic vision for the story. Using acrylic on canvas, the artist creates layered and stunning visual portraits, but the decision to make Thumbelina larger than life and to often fill the entire page, along with the animals she meets on her journey, serves to minimize the impact on readers of Thumbelina's diminutive size. The endpapers are the best symbolic expression of Thumbelina's plight, given her miniature size and the overpowering larger world represented by the partially visible tree trunk, forest greenery and various insects placed throughout the scene for scale and comparison. Readers can sense the length and difficulty of her voyage to reach her community. VERDICT This version of the fairy tale could be purchased for larger collections and would be best enjoyed one-on-one as an opportunity to luxuriate in the beautiful artwork.—Eva Thaler-Sroussi, Needham Free Public Library, MA

School Library Journal

2015-07-22
The adventures of a tiny girl amid flora and fauna in an imaginary land are again presented for young readers. The text is acceptably adapted and accessible, but the illustrations, thickly textured and deeply colored, are leaden and rely on fashion rather than magic for their distinctiveness. The illustrator veers back and forth distractingly in her depiction of clothing, from the traditional 19th-century peasant dress with apron and kerchief of the field mouse to the 1920s look of the three female June bugs (cockchafers in some versions) who declare Thumbelina's utter unsuitability as a mate for the big June bug who tries to capture her. The ugly toad who first steals her from her walnut-shell bed for her own son (shown in denim overalls) wears a frumpy pink polka-dot dress of no particular vintage. The haughty mole who wants to marry the girl wears a red fez and a fur-trimmed jacket to portray his wealth. Thumbelina wears simple white dresses, symbolizing her purity, but there is a lack of the magical lightness necessary to the tale. Even the double-page spread of the wedding scene when Thumbelina, with her large, Margaret Keane-like eyes, finally finds a suitable mate of just the right height, seems heavy and contrived. While Andersen's imaginative story, first published in 1835, keeps children listening or reading, this edition adds nothing new or special to a long literary history. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews