Brave Thumbelina

by An Leysen

An Leysen's breathtaking and magical retelling of the classic fairy tale of Hans Christian Andersen!

Once upon a time, there was a woman who desperately wanted a child. One day, a good witch passed her house and gave her a flower seed. The woman planted the seed and took good care of it. Before long, two little eyes curiously stared at her between the petals. Inside the flower was a tiny girl! The woman named her Thumbelina. It soon became clear that Thumbelina was a very brave little girl.

In this magical picture book, An Leysen retells the classic fairy tale of Hans Christian Andersen. For children ages 5 and up and anyone who loves enchanting fairy tales.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Classics

50 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's story just didn't work for me. I'm not sure if the original would work for me, either, since it seems to be a very dated, sexist story. Every male in the book wants to own or marry Thumbelina (which is creepier still because she's portrayed as a little girl).

We're told her mother was very "kind" to her, but she kept her daughter in a box with a lid (and no air holes that I could see). Her mother wasn't the brightest bulb, though, as she complained about not being able to have children. As far as I could tell, she was a single woman, so it wasn't any wonder she wasn't getting pregnant! (Somebody neglected to have "the talk" with her, I guess.)

It's too bad this particular story was chosen for a retelling, because the illustrations are really pretty. They're probably the only thing I liked about this book. I don't think I'd give it to a child, simply because of the problematic messages of women as property and needing to be saved by a man.

Quotable moment:

Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for providing a digital ARC.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I'm a huge fan of anything related to Hans Christian Andersen. The stories that he created truly transcend way beyond his time. They, at least to me, always have a life lesson in them and even though they usually end on a more sad note, they still stick in your memory years later. I love fairy tales, as a kid and even now and probably will when I'm in my late years. So, when I saw a re-make of one of his famous stories, I simply had to read it.

Now, overall I liked it. There are great characters, plot and you simply get a nice feeling when reading this story. But since this book is meant for ages 5 and up, I'm not so sure how they'd like the font. To me, it was too small and children usually like bigger and more simpler fonts. So you could say that I wasn't a big fan of the authors choice in regards to that. Also, and some might call me a picky reader, there were times when I wished for a better execution of the art. Again, overall it's great, but in some pages I wished for a better detail (especially with eyes). I know that the children won't mind it...but I do...

Now, the fact that this time around the main character is a girl and not a boy is a nice change. I enjoyed that. And I also liked the ending. You could say that it's a nice re-make. But for me Hans Christian Andersen is Hans Christian Andersen. And he's one of the greatest fairy tale writers that I know of. So while I might've enjoyed this story, I'd still prefer one of his originals.

[Prashasti · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

A retelling of your favorite classic fairy tale Thumbelina. Loved the beautiful oil-pastel illustrations, almost felt like reminiscing my childhood times!

PS: Read this shortie ( can't keep calm ) because it's the first day of the year and I needed something to kick-start my bookish year with real quick!

[Etienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5/5. A girly version of what we call Tom Pouce in French (probably something like Tom Thumb maybe in English... really not sure) but the classic tales of a really small boy. Here we replace the boy by a girl and play a bit with the story more or less reinventing it. This story was too slow for my liking, I think some kids may find it really long because the rhythm is so slow. I'm also unsure why the «remake»... was it necessary? Not bad, but didn't bring anything new/unique.

[Sotiria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Εκπληκτική εικονογράφηση!!!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty standard retelling of Anderson’s story of Thumbelina. She doesn’t appear to do anything differently than the original Thumbelina did, except, she does go home to visit her mother after she marries the fairy king, which is something I always thought should happen.

The pictures fare lovely, but there is nothing new here.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy fairytale interpretations, and was drawn to the gorgeous illustration on the cover of An Leysen's Brave Thumbelina when browsing Netgalley. The book is nicely put together, but I did not find that the prose stood out in any way. The artwork is definitely the strength here.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Actual Star Rating: 3.5***

I am a fairy tale version fan and so I enjoy finding different variations. Sometimes they are hits and sometimes they seem to end up missing their mark.

This one was a so-so for me when it came to the actual total effect. Thumbelina has always been iffy with its actual story but this one came off more offensive just maybe since Thumb was shown as being more girl-like than in others where she is a bit more mature. As a result it made me quite even more uncomfortable with all the guys wanting to marry her against her will or the mouse forcing her to make a good match.

And although history had more younger brides it didn't translate well with this version. Even when it came to the end where the original seemed to have more of a decision in her fate, this particular "prince" was basically bribing her by her wings so it felt like she finally gave in to marrying instead of agreeing just since he was the better choice out of all she had been offered so far.

What really gets the higher stars for this version is the beautiful illustrations. They were brightly colored in most areas, had a lot of details and were well executed. The little fish were definitely a big winner for me. And the artist does a great job in expressions on poor Thumb's face.

All in all I would purchase this book for my own library due to the artwork but this will be one of those questionable works to many others. Although the ending is a lot sweeter there just isn't much else besides those two points to save it from being a bit disturbing read.

***I received access to a copy of this book in exchange for a free review.***

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is billed as a retelling of the story of Thumbelina. It doesn't seem to be so much of a retelling, but the same story with the language updated, new and beautiful illustrations with a bit of a happier ending. These illustrations are done in such a way as to add magic to the story. They are not a bright, vibrant illustration, but a muted pastel drawing that fit the story perfectly. For those of you not familiar with the story of Thumbelina, it is about a woman who prayed and hoped to have a daughter. She receives a flower seed from a good witch and when she plants it and it grows, there is a tiny girl within the petals. She loves and takes care of her, naming her Thumbelina. Thumbelina is kidnapped by an ugly toad and the rest of the story is about her adventures with many creatures wanting to marry her and keep her. She does have her happily ever after though. I am not really sure what the message is in this fairytale, as most do have a lesson.

This book is aimed at readers aged 5 and older, and the language and writing style seem appropriate for that age range. The story itself is well-written, though it is essentially the Thumbelina story that most people know. Regardless of that, I did enjoy this fairytale and the illustrations that accompanied it. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

[Dee/ bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt that the beginning of the story felt almost magical, but then it started to unravel. The story was out of sequence (and that could be the way the file download onto my reading device) but I couldn't find a clear message that story was trying to get across.

I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

[Dana-Adriana B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for this copy.
This book is a re-interpretation of Thumbelina, which is lovely. Iove all tge fairy tales. I think that the illustrations are more than great making the story even more lovely.

[Poongothai · Rating 3 out of 5]

A retelling of Andersen's Thumbelina. Illustrations are good.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Belgian children's book author and artist An Leysen retells Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy-tale about that diminutive heroine, Thumbelina, in this gorgeous picture book. When a lonely and childless woman is given a seed by a good witch, the resulting plant yields a tiny daughter, whom she names Thumbelina (Tommelise in the original Danish) and who becomes the center of her world. When Thumbelina is kidnapped by a toad who wants her as a bride for her (the toad's) son, that tiny girl escapes with the help of some fish and a butterfly, only to find herself kidnapped again by a june bug. Abandoned by this would-be captor, she survives on her own until winter comes, when she is taken in by a kindly mouse. This good fortune soon proves to have its downsides however, when the mouse wants her to marry a wealthy mole. Rescued from this fate at the last minute by a swallow she saved, Thumbelina is borne far away to the south, to a beautiful land where she meets a fairy prince...

Originally published as Dapper Duimelijntje in Dutch, Brave Thumbelina is the fifth picture book I have read from An Leysen, and is one of my favorites from this creator. It is also the twelfth picture book retelling of this Danish fairy-tale I have read, following upon those done by illustrators such as Lauren Mills, Sylvia Long, Adrienne Adams, Bagram Ibatoulline, Brad Sneed, Arlene Graston, Susan Jeffers, Lisbeth Zwerger, David Johnson, and Brian Pinkney—not to mention Daniel Picouly and Olivier Tallec's tropical revision of the story, Thumbelina of Toulaba . As is evident, I have read many presentations of this tale, and can safely say that this is one of the most lovely that I have encountered. Certainly the equal of the Mills and Long versions, which were probably my favorites, hitherto. The artwork here is just gorgeous, whether done in subtler shades or in more vibrant ones, in more minimalist outline or full-color two-page wordless spreads. Leysen's retelling is also appealing, sticking faithfully to the original, and recounting Thumbelina's many travails. The title here makes an editorial statement about the story, emphasizing that the little heroine has courage, and is perhaps meant as a rebuke to those who would dismiss her as helpless, because of her size or her many misfortunes. There is something so appropriate in this, when it comes to a children's story such as this, as children too live in a world which is out of scale to their size, making them vulnerable to those with greater strength and power. Recommended to fairy-tale lovers young and old, and to anyone who enjoys beautiful picture book art. I got this one through interlibrary loan, but may need to track down a copy of my own, for my personal library!

[Fromwordstoworlds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tales have never lost heir charm. Once in a while the new generations of parents debate whether children need to be exposed to this type of lesson to learn morality and to appreciate real values in life, considering the tragedies and the violence involved.

Let’s not forget that hope, dreams, fears, failure are all part of life. The experiences illustrated in fairy tales shape strong characters. Children have the capacity to understand the dichotomy good-bad, to evaluate situations and draw their own conclusions. A world of trolls, gnomes, witches, princes and princesses will fascinate children and the situations imagined will show them that the unknown is part of our life experience.

An Leysen is a magical artist. Her artwork perfectly makes the transition between ordinary and extraordinary, leading readers in a fascinating world. Just looking at her illustrations, from the very first pages, you know you will have a great experience and… a good, happy ending.

Thumbelina, first published by Hans Christian Andersen in 1835 and apparently inspired by the story of Tom Thumb, is a tale talking about our need to belong.

Born in a flower, daughter to a beautiful, loving woman, Thumbelina had a perfect life, until one spring evening when a toad sneaked in the house and stole the girl.

“What a beautiful bride for my son!” she croaked. […]

Thumbelina woke up from the noise and saw two ugly toads in front of her. She shuffled backwards on the lily pad in fear. “Doesn’t my son look handsome in his fancy suit?” the mother toad croaked to Thumbelina. “You will be a perfect pair once you’re married!” And with that, she hopped away. Thumbelina shuddered at the idea of marrying the toad, and burst into tears. But the toad had no kind words for her."

See full review on blog:
https://fromwordstoworlds.wordpress.c...

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has the most beautiful illustrations, so beautiful in fact, that you could frame them and hang them on your wall.

The story itself is a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's classic fairytale, Thumbelina, which was first published in 1835. A lonely woman desperately longs for a child and one day a good witch just happens to pass by her house and gives her a mysterious flower seed. Finding this rather odd the woman goes ahead and plants the seed anyway. She tenderly nurtures it to its fruition.

Low and behold when she looks closely at the flower that her plant produces she can hardly believe her eyes. She witnesses two little eyes peeking through the petals. Whatever can be happening? She discovers a tiny little girl no bigger than her thumb tucked inside the bloom. Overjoyed she gives gently and lovingly extracts her and gives her the name Thumbelina.

One night while sleeping in a little box beside the woman's bed Thumbelina is kidnapped by an ugly toad who thinks the little girl would be a perfect match for her son. Thumbelina is mortified. She is then passed on to different abhorrent animals that too covet her to be their wife. Poor wee thing, what is she to do?

Thankfully Thumbelina is rescued time and time again by a variety of kind-hearted, compassionate animals that realize her plight and are willing to save her and transport her to safety. Will Thumbelina ever find true happiness and a forever safe place to abide? This charming magical fairytale with its magnificent illustrations will have kids once again mesmerized by the retelling of this classic tale originally told by a master storyteller long, long ago.

[MadOnReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since I was little, I have loved reading fairy tales. The story of Thumbelina holds a special place in my heart as this was one of my favourites as a child. Thus, when I got the opportunity to read an early copy of An Leysen’s BRAVE THUMBELINA, I couldn’t say no, even though children’s books aren’t the usual books I review.

Firstly I want to start by saying that the illustrations in this book are gorgeous. I received an e-copy of this book and after opening it on my kindle, I switched to my kindle app so I could view the illustrations in colour. These drawings really add a special magic to the story.

This book is aimed at readers aged 5 and older, and the language and writing style certainly seemed appropriate for that readership. The story itself is well-written, though the plot doesn’t differ much from the traditional story of Thumbelina, so it didn’t seem as much of a “retelling” as it could have been. It essentially was the Thumbelina story that most people know.

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed it and it felt magical reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance copy.

[Psusan · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I loved the illustrations in Brave Thumbelina by An Leysen. The art work was clear but imaginative at the same time. I shared the story with my four-year-old granddaughter who was not familiar with Hans Christian Andersen’s tale. She loved the little girl but couldn’t exactly see why animals kept wanting to marry her. Still after reading three different books, she said Thumbelina was her favorite.

Thumbelina is brave, so the title fits the story. We looked at the many animal characters, the ones who interacted with Thumbelina. The lack of concern for Thumbelina’s wishes is evident in the some of the characters, which is not so different from people who are selfish. We found a lesson here, be a giver not a taker. Going home was a big question for my granddaughter, who kept asking, “When will she see her Mother again?” A star for this story answering that very question.

4.5 Stars
The publisher through Net Galley provided a digital ARC. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll thank this book for pointing out that – in living memory – I had never read a version of Thumbelina. My flaw corrected, I can find little flaws in this book, for it's a delightful thing, even when half the artwork in my proof was only pencil and not the full-on, coloured article. The childless woman and the title character herself are absolutely beautiful, and the whole thing is winsome. As to the story itself, it's a girl-friendly fantasy of a tiny character who waits and holds out for what she really wants. I can see right-wingers calling it a lesson against miscegenation, bizarrely – the Aryan-looking young girl escapes the entrapping toad and the darkness of the mole for something much more like her own kind, after all. But I shouldn't be reading such interpretations into this, which is a lovely and well-presented version of the tale. Perhaps there could have been a bit more sprightliness to the telling, but visually at least this book is a strong four stars. You certainly don't have to be brave to risk buying this...

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Brave Thumbelina' by Hans Christian Andersen with adaptation and illustrations by An Leysen is a beautiful picture book of a strange fairy tale.

A woman dreams of having a child. She plants a flower and a tiny child is born. Everything is fine and she sleeps in a tiny box, until she is stolen one night and given in marriage to an ugly frog. What follows are a series of strange matches until Thumbelina finds the perfect match.

I love Hans Christian Andersen, but his stories can be so weird. This one is no exception: a young girl is born and the only reason seems to be as a series of potential brides.

The illustrations are solid, though. An Leysen has a style I really like and this book is no exception. There are some black and white illustrations throughout the book as well as full color. The color palette is softer and pastel and fits well with the drawings.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Clavis Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

[Natalia Heaney]

Also posted on my website.

I haven’t read Thumbelina for years, so this was a sweet story to revisit.

Coming back to it after so long, I’d forgotten how strange the premise is!

The illustrations in this version are a little different, and – possibly – paint the characters as a little more childlike, which is especially obvious at the end, when Thumbelina meets the boy (rather than man) like her.

Naturally, this would be a much better read in paperback form than the ebook I read it as.

One thing: I’m absolutely shocked by some of the reviews I’ve read. It seems many people haven’t heard of Thumbelina, and think it’s a new story written to give girls a new heroine! No, folks. Hans Christian Andersen wrote it in 1835!!


Review copy from NetGalley.

[Paul Franco · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who don’t know the classic story or need a recap, a lonely woman wishes for a child and gets a seed instead, which grows into a flower that gestates a tiny girl, who’s born fully dressed. After a happy time with her mom in their house, she gets kidnapped by a mother toad, which leads the little one on a long ride of adventures in the outside world. After some good times and bad times she finds herself in the perfect situation and goes to visit her mother, though the fact that Mom must have agonized about her missing daughter is curiously glossed over.
On the first page there’s a huge empty space and really tiny text. Annoying. The situation does not improve.
Little Thumbelina is drawn adorably on every page, though in somewhat of a 20s flapper style. It’s meant to be more stylish than anything else, and probably owes something to the illustrations from Lewis Carroll’s books.

[Fiorella · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review*

2.5
It wasn't for me. The art is beautiful but I had some problems with other things.
1. It was really hard to read the book with such a small font and in some pages there was a lot of text. I can't even imagine how hard would be to children read the book when they prefer big fonts. Also, it would have been nice to see more pictures.
2. Every male character(or someone close) in the book wants to marry Thumbelina and she is a child(or look like one)
3. Thumbelina suddenly falls in love with a man that has met two seconds agooo!! INSTA LOVE DETECTED.
4. There isn't a clear message. I don't even know why Thumbelina is brave if she is constantly rescued. I MEAN.

Overall an okay book.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

*thank you to Netgalley and Clavis Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.

I was interested in this because I had read that it was a retelling to the original story, Thumbelina. But unfortunately it's not. It's just basically the same story. But with saying that I still really enjoyed it. I found the illustrations to be absolutely amazing. Just simply stunning that I felt almost like crying. That's how much I loved them! I would buy this book just for the illustrations alone and I would also buy it because this versions illustrations are better than any other I've so far seen.

[Full of Lit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really sweet book that retells the classic story of thumbelina. It's been too long I forgot the details of the story so it was nice to get acquainted with it again.

My only issue was that I read it with my five year-old and it didn't keep her interested which I think was due in part to not a lot of pictures which at this age is still needed for storytelling.

Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for this ARC!

[Elevetha · Rating 4 out of 5]

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Lovely illustrations for this retelling of Andersen's classic tale. Not much changed from his version but it's a nice edition for the young ones. Appreciated that Thumbelina returns to visit her mother!

[Raven Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, the artwork in this one is simply beautiful, and of course whenever you do a retelling of Andersen there's a lesson to be learned and perhaps some sadness. However, this one is simply beautiful and perhaps as an adult its even more endearing, I didn't think it was even possible. I truly enjoyed this one and I know several of our little ones who will enjoy this as well.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While the cover and art were very unique and eye catching, the story didn't come together for me. Some pages had way too much text. That makes it hard to engage a younger audience. The font was a bit too small which makes it hard as a read aloud.

[Citra Rizcha Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saya penggemar fairy tale dan juga ilustrasi dari An Leysen.

Thumbelina adalah bagaimana saya memandang diri saya semasa anak-anak, kecil, dan mungil, dan terima kasih Clavis di masa dewasa akhirnya saya memiliki buku secantik ini dengan ilustrasi luar biasa indah.

Buat saya ini edisi koleksi bagi para penggemar dongeng dengan ilustrasi yang indah.

[Leeya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful book.

The story is very detailed, the illustrations are gorgeous, and the language is very appropriate for children. I enjoyed reading this book very much.

This book was provided to me through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an adorable picture book that tells the story of Thumbelina. The illustrations accompanying each story are beautiful and colorful.
Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for my advance copy.