Thumbelina
Greenwillow Books, September, 2003.
Picture Book, 40 pages.
ISBN: 0688174760
Ages 4-8
Hans Christen Anderson's classic story about the tiny girl named
Thumbelina gets an updated and modern twist in this
bold retelling. Brian Pinkney's Thumbelina is a
mocha-skinned beauty who grew from a magic seed that
her mother (who had longed for a child) purchased from an
old woman. Thumbelina is kidnapped by a frog who thinks
she would make a great wife for her froggy son. Thumbelina
escapes this and other forced marriages, escaping with the
help of a swallow who she had nursed back to health. The swallow
brings Thumbelina to the world of the flower people -- people
who are just like her. The handsome king of the flower people asks
Thumbelina to be his bride and queen, and she accepts.
The illustrations are bold and vibrant, with thick, curving lines which convey a sense of movement and emotion. The artist sketches just enough of the outline of the main shapes to convey the concept of the scene, which gives this old story some new, raw energy. Thumbelina herself is sweet and caring, nursing a bird back to health and worrying about deserting her friend the field mouse. The enchanting illustrations and updated story make this a fairy tale worth re-reading.
Thumbelina is available for purchase on Amazon.com
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This review was published in the January-February, 2004 of The Internet Writing Journal.
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