Once there was a woman who was sad because she had no children. 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. When an ugly old toad sneaks in and snatches Thumbelina away, her adventures in a world full of dangers begin. Full color.
In this spare and lilting unabridged translation of the classic tale, the tiny girl's pleasant life is interrupted when she is stolen in sleep by an ugly matron-toad who seeks a wife for her son. A series of misadventures with goliath-like creatures whether a cruel may-bug or a compassionate field leaves the beautiful Thumbelina feeling like a misfit. But her kindness in saving a swallow's life is returned when the bird flies her south to its enchanted garden. Here, Thumbelina finally meets her prince and discovers she is home. Graston, in a stunning debut, uses a light-shifting background of subtly tinted tiles as a backdrop to the range of miniature delights (a walnut-shell bed with rose-petal linens, a butterfly-powered sail on a lily pad) and darker emotions (loneliness and feeling out of place). The artwork varies from the silken and jewel-like (flowers and butterfly wings) to the earthy and somber (the cultured mole's underground home, the ailing swallow's feathered chest). The finale grounds the heady sentiment of the fairy-tale ending: the swallow perches on the venerable storyteller's fingers as it relates the tale to Andersen. All ages. (Oct.) Copyright 1998 Publishers Weekly Reviews
This unabridged translation of the classic story is more suitable for an older audience than Jane Falloon's sprightly retelling (McElderry, 1997). The narrative is smooth, spare, and rich in descriptive language that is never ornate. The text has an old-fashioned flavor while appealing to modern sensibilities. Graston's watercolor illustrations suit the narrative perfectly. Whereas Emma Chichester Clark depicted Thumbelina as a sturdy, feisty child in Falloon's version, Graston's character is dainty and ethereal. The illustrations are beautifully textured, with a tiled impression in the background and carefully distinguished details: a teapot on the hearth in the field mouse's house; the mole's fur; the swallow's feathers. More somber in tone than Chichester Clark's sunny illustrations, Graston's paintings enhance the old-world nuances of Haugaard's translation and will engage readers. The portrait of Andersen listening to the swallow's tale on the last page is delightful. A remarkable, lovely version of one of the author's most beloved tales, this title more than earns its place on the shelf. Copyright 1998 School Library Journal Reviews
Shopping Cart
