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80th out of 514 books
—
501 voters
Thumbelina
It's not easy being small, but in Brad Sneed's lovely new adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina, at least life is full of adventure. Soon after being born from a fiery red flower, Thumbelina is kidnapped from home and pursued by many suitors, including a horrible toad, a bumbling beetle, and a grumpy mole--until the plucky heroine finds a true love who fits he...more
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
September 9th 2004
by Dial Books
(first published 1835)
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Sep 25, 2009
Abigail
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fairy-Tale Lovers / Bagram Ibatoulline Fans
Review Temporarily Removed.
3 likes · like · see review
view all 9 comments
A woman and her husband cannot have children, so the woman went to the local witch. She told her she wanted a baby, the witch gave her barleycorn to put in a pretty pot and then something will grow. After a while, the plant grew in the pot and out popped a baby girl, who was no bigger than their thumb. So they decided to call her Thumbelina. Her parents made her a nursery that they placed on the windowsill. In the spring, there was a toad, Mrs. Toad who saw Thumbelina and thought that she would...more
Sep 14, 2011
Amy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
childrens,
fairy-and-folk-tales
The illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline in this adapation of Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina were just beautiful, which is really what made this adaptation by Brian Alderson special, I think. The story itself seemed a little choppy, or flat, perhaps, although I'm not really familiar with the story of Thumbelina, so I don't know what this particular version was lacking. I just didn't think there was anything truly special about the way the words came together in this rendition. The illustrat...more
May 29, 2011
Ronyell
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of Thumbelina tales
Illustrated by David Johnson
“Thumbelina” is one of the most cherished stories in the Rabbit Ears Storybook Classics series and is surely a classic in its own right. Kelly McGillis’ tender narration, along with Mark Isham’s memorizing music and David Johnson’s exquisite drawings, combine to make “Thumbelina” one of the tenderest stories in Rabbit Ears history.
Kelly McGillis’ narration is extremely tender as she makes this story extremely touching and soothing to watch and she also greatly expre...more
“Thumbelina” is one of the most cherished stories in the Rabbit Ears Storybook Classics series and is surely a classic in its own right. Kelly McGillis’ tender narration, along with Mark Isham’s memorizing music and David Johnson’s exquisite drawings, combine to make “Thumbelina” one of the tenderest stories in Rabbit Ears history.
Kelly McGillis’ narration is extremely tender as she makes this story extremely touching and soothing to watch and she also greatly expre...more
Dec 05, 2009
Leslie Brevard
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
traditional-literature
2nd-4th Grades
Zwerger had an interesting way of illustrating this book. She uses very neutral hues when using the colors and draws in a very non-realistic way. The pictures are not very sharp, but do let the students know what she is drawing. The cover tells the reader a lot about what this book is going to be about along with the pictures that go along with the story. The text is a little smaller and full with every page. Andersen does not have very much negative space on the pages mostly they...more
Zwerger had an interesting way of illustrating this book. She uses very neutral hues when using the colors and draws in a very non-realistic way. The pictures are not very sharp, but do let the students know what she is drawing. The cover tells the reader a lot about what this book is going to be about along with the pictures that go along with the story. The text is a little smaller and full with every page. Andersen does not have very much negative space on the pages mostly they...more
I could never remembered the whole story of thumbelina, only that she was about the size of a thumb and lived in a flower, so it was nice to be able to revisit this fairy tale. This book is filled with adventure and random happenings that I think kids would really enjoy. Like when Thumbelina got taken away by a frog because she thought she'd be good for her son, or meeting all these random creatures, some nicer than others. This is a great book for children to see life from another perspective a...more
This book seem to have a fairy tale ending. Tumbelina had to go through a little bit of hardship just to get to what she had been longing for and deserving of. This book did a good job of presenting new characters and actually brought one from the beginning of the story back in to the end of the story which actually saved her. The illustrations were great in this book.. I think children would love the suspense of the book.
Activity:
At the end of the book, I would have the children change the endi...more
Activity:
At the end of the book, I would have the children change the endi...more
Sep 15, 2011
Matthew Downes
added it
1) The category that this book fit under on the bingo board is "A Fairy Tale By Hans Christian Anderson Or The Brothers Grimm".
2) I decided to read this book because I needed to read a fairy tale for my reading log.
3) I liked how it was all about animals, or rather Tiny's troubles and relationships with with them, and how she travels all over the place meeting lots of different people/animals. It had an interesting variety of sad, happy, and rather strange parts to it. It was a nice change from...more
2) I decided to read this book because I needed to read a fairy tale for my reading log.
3) I liked how it was all about animals, or rather Tiny's troubles and relationships with with them, and how she travels all over the place meeting lots of different people/animals. It had an interesting variety of sad, happy, and rather strange parts to it. It was a nice change from...more
Jan 01, 2011
Dolly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
parents reading with their children
Gorgeous illustrations highlight this adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairytale. We recently read The Serpent Came to Gloucester and recognized the illustrator's name. Though I've heard about Thumbelina a bunch in the past (most recently in a Barbie context), I must admit I didn't know the story. We read this book aloud at bedtime and were enchanted by the tale. There was suspense, drama and adorable fairies. What more can you ask for?
Surprisingly, there were a few new words her...more
Surprisingly, there were a few new words her...more
Mar 15, 2010
Kayla Pollema
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
pbgs3-traditional
This is a magic tale that is about a tiny girl who is looking for love. She see many different animals and goes through many different seasons to find just the right person.
This story maps out Thumbelina’s life according to seasons. In an early primary classroom, students learn about the seasons and this book would be a great book to study in conjunction with that standard. Not only does this book show the seasons but they show the repeating seasons to display that years have passed. This book...more
Dec 04, 2009
Tami Roberts
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
traditional-literature
Grades 1-2 (Read aloud with beginning readers).
The title page states that this version was translated by Elizabeth Bell and adapted by Sindy McKay, with illustrations by Quentin Gréban. Gréban’s paintings are very delicate and colorful, I was drawn to this book by the beautiful illustration on the front page (Tumbelina on the back of the blue swallow, flying over the city), and children will also be intrigued by his beautiful, detailed paintings throughout this book. The format of this book has...more
The title page states that this version was translated by Elizabeth Bell and adapted by Sindy McKay, with illustrations by Quentin Gréban. Gréban’s paintings are very delicate and colorful, I was drawn to this book by the beautiful illustration on the front page (Tumbelina on the back of the blue swallow, flying over the city), and children will also be intrigued by his beautiful, detailed paintings throughout this book. The format of this book has...more
Mar 14, 2011
Lisa Carroll
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
module-2-booklist
Again, I have yet to be disappointed by any of the retelling of these classic fables. This version of Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina by Brian Anderson. The watercolor pictures in this book are lovely and filled with rich colors of yellows, reds, and greens. This book is simple enough for the youngest child and also clever enough for older children because it introduces various words, such as, obstoprolous. These classic fables are timeless and if I, a 34 year old mom can enjoy them, then b...more
“Thumbelina” is an old fairy tale retold by James Riordan and illustrated by Wayne Anderson. This tale tells the story of poor Thumbelina who gets taken from her comfortable home to live with toads and then with a mouse. Poor Thumbelina is then engaged to a mole that she does not wish to marry in the slightest. Thumbelina shows kindness to a swallow, which in turn helps her to escape the dreaded life she would have had to face with the mole. This fairy tale is well written and the pictures are b...more
Thumbelina by Hans Christian Andersen is a book about a girl who is given to parents who could not have children. The unique thing about her was that she was no bigger than the size of their thumb. IN the spring, a toad noticed her and thought that she could marry her son. So she kidnapped her. This is where the adventure really begins. She meets many creatures like the Maybugs and the mole. In the end she meets the diamond prince and she marries him and they live happily ever after. In this boo...more
I highly recommend this fairy tale to read in your classrooms. It is about a tiny little girl and her journey through nature. It shows children about the courage someone can have no matter what their size. It also teaches the importance of surviving the odds of being small and rather different than people, but accepting that you are small and different from people. Being different from people and showing that you accept that you are different is just what children need in this world today. There...more
This was my absolute favourite movie as a child... even now. I always loved the fairy tales but had not taken the time to read this specific one. I loved how closely the movie stayed to the story. I think the only thing more charming than marrying a fairy has got to be marrying the king of the flower spirits. What a lovely connection to the "veil of the fairies". Jaquimo remains intact with his role of telling the story. The only thing out of place is that she meets the king after her adventures...more
SUSAN JEFFERS ILLUSTRATIONS:
I thought this was lovely, but then I'm a Jeffers fan. The story of Thumbelina has always proved oddly intriguing--alternately delightful and disturbing--for me (aided, no doubt, by the very odd experience of seeing human actors dressed as Mole and Bluebird in the Faerie Tale Theater production, ahem!) I must say this version (text) did nothing to clear up the problematic elements although I am still enchanted with the idea of the wee girl living amongst birds, butter...more
I thought this was lovely, but then I'm a Jeffers fan. The story of Thumbelina has always proved oddly intriguing--alternately delightful and disturbing--for me (aided, no doubt, by the very odd experience of seeing human actors dressed as Mole and Bluebird in the Faerie Tale Theater production, ahem!) I must say this version (text) did nothing to clear up the problematic elements although I am still enchanted with the idea of the wee girl living amongst birds, butter...more
4 likes · like · see review
Genre: Picture Book - Fairy Tale
Ages: 9-12
Awards: X
Thumbelina is a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale that has been retold and illustrated by Brian Pinkney. The sweet story is about a tiny girl named Thumbelina. A woman wanting a child receives a magic seed from an old woman. The seed becomes a blossom with a tiny girl inside. One day, the tiny girl is taken by a toad who wants a wife for her son. With the help of some fish and a butterfly, Thumbelina escapes from the toads. Then, she is picked...more
Ages: 9-12
Awards: X
Thumbelina is a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale that has been retold and illustrated by Brian Pinkney. The sweet story is about a tiny girl named Thumbelina. A woman wanting a child receives a magic seed from an old woman. The seed becomes a blossom with a tiny girl inside. One day, the tiny girl is taken by a toad who wants a wife for her son. With the help of some fish and a butterfly, Thumbelina escapes from the toads. Then, she is picked...more
Thumbelina was my favorite book as a child. I used to look inside all the flowers around my home to see if she was in there. A woman is unable to have children so she goes to a lady who gives her a seed that will grow a tiny child. Thumbelina lives in a flower until one day a toad comes and steals her away to make her a bride for his son. She escapes and then is wanted to wed a mole. She escapes with the help of a friend and returns home. A childhood classic that I will read to my kids someday.
Mar 28, 2013
Elizabeth S
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
picture-books,
short
This edition: Decent version of the Thumbelina story, and doesn't wander far from the original Hans Christian Anderson. The pictures are lovely. What I *really* liked was the I read--you read aspect. It was very well done. There is a paragraph or two in a smaller font for the adult to read, then a short sentence in a larger font for a beginning reader to read. And it all is part of the story. My kindergartener and I had a blast reading this together, and my 6th grader enjoyed listening!
Dec 06, 2009
Becky
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
traditional-literature
Thumbelina
Grades: K-4th
Emma Chichester Clark did a marvelous job illustrating this fairy–tale of a miniature princess. The end pages give the reader a tease of the size of Thumbelina and a sense of how easily she could be in danger. The illustrations are drawn with pastel watercolors. The story gives you a sense of a loneliness from the beginning and throughout until the end. The illustrations compliment the account of Thumbelina’s adventure. The text is very descriptive, big and bold but rarely...more
Grades: K-4th
Emma Chichester Clark did a marvelous job illustrating this fairy–tale of a miniature princess. The end pages give the reader a tease of the size of Thumbelina and a sense of how easily she could be in danger. The illustrations are drawn with pastel watercolors. The story gives you a sense of a loneliness from the beginning and throughout until the end. The illustrations compliment the account of Thumbelina’s adventure. The text is very descriptive, big and bold but rarely...more
This was such a cute story about surviving the odds and finding love. I would love reading this in my future classroom. There are so many fun characters and interesting plot twists and turns. Small children would love this story because they could identify with the very short main character. I loved this story overall and I would recommend it for elementary reading.
Jun 19, 2011
Marcia
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
grades-1-3,
picture-books
Thumbelina finished off our unit on "little folk" in folklore. The story is enchanting and well-loved, if mostly familiar to the K-2s. This version is illustrated by Brian Pinkney who gives our heroine a bit of color which is a nice change from the usual pale white fairy tale characters. The longing for a child is a common theme amongst this category of stories.
Input had to read this over again. It is such a great " fairy tale", classic. HCA is one of my favorite authors, and always.will be. Besides tiny cute thugs are always in.
This version is so beautifully done, in watercolor, that is fluid and almost delicious, in its technique. I love the retelling of tales, especially when done so well.KUDOSK
This version is so beautifully done, in watercolor, that is fluid and almost delicious, in its technique. I love the retelling of tales, especially when done so well.KUDOSK
3 likes · like · see review
I LOVE THIS BOOK. This was also another favorite of mine when I was little but I had not read it in years. It is an adorable, clever story about a tiny princess searching for true love and avoiding all the frogs in her life. I appreciated the happy ending. This is a perfect example of a far-fetched fairytale that mostly women will enjoy. ;)
This is one of my favourite fairytales, the story of Thumbelina was first brought to my attention from the disney film which never really took off. However I loved it and couldn't wait to be able to read the book. The way that Thumbelina has to cope with all the woodland creatures and it is a whole new town.
great illustrations, nice length for bedtime story when you're a little too sleepy, follows closely to original story. Pairs nicely with movie version (by Disney?). Very evocative story for discussion about how the world can be cruel, how you need to be resilient to make sure people don't take advantage of you.
This story of Thumbelina is well written and the pictures are very vibrant and intreguing. This story is about a small girl who gets kidnapped and is now trying to find her place in this huge world. I think that this is a good story to read to a 4th or 5th grade class, maybe 3rd grade.
Read this in swedish. The title is: Tummelisa
Men bilderna är illustrerad av Charlotte Gastaut istället. Och har en så här framsida:
En väldigt gullig barnbok med färgglada och fina bilder.
Men bilderna är illustrerad av Charlotte Gastaut istället. Och har en så här framsida:
En väldigt gullig barnbok med färgglada och fina bilder.
Dentro de la flor, sobre los verdes y aterciopelados estambres, estaba sentada una delicada y graciosa doncellita, cuyo tamaño era escasamente la mitad del largo de un dedo pulgar. Al verla tan pequeña, le dieron el nombre de Pulgarcita.
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Hans Christian Andersen, or simply H.C. Andersen, was a Danish author and poet, most famous for his fairy tales. Among his best-known stories "The Snow Queen", "The Little Mermaid", "The Emperor's New Clothes" and "The Ugly Duckling". During Andersen's lifetime he was feted by royalty and acclaimed as having brought joy to children across Europe. His fairy tales have been translated into well over...more
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“Farewell, farewell," said the swallow, with a heavy heart, as he left the warm countries, to fly back into Denmark. There he had a nest over the window of a house in which dwelt the writer of fairy tales. The swallow sang "Tweet, tweet," and from his song came the whole story.”
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