Thumbelina, Tiny Runaway Bride by Barbara Ensor

Thumbelina: Tiny Runaway Bride by Barbara Ensor
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (May 13, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0375839607
ISBN-13: 978-0375839603



Thumbelina: Tiny Runaway Bride by Barbara Ensor is a contemporary spin on the classic tale of the tiny girl, Thumbelina. The book begins showing Thumbelina's mother, Anne Marie, who is desperate for a child handing over her life savings to a witch. Anne Marie gets her child, and as we all know, this child is so small that her mother names her Thumbelina.

As Thumbelina grows, we see that her mother becomes extremely overbearing and overprotective. She reads Thumbelina's diary, edits her spelling and grammar, and writes her own comments to her daughter's private thoughts in the diary itself. Thumbelina is a bit spunky and longs to go outside on her own and to have a bit of freedom. When her mother reluctantly grants her wish, she is carried off by a mother toad, looking for a bride for her son. The rest of the story chronicles Thumbelina's escape from the toad and her adventures that follow.

Scattered throughout the book are inkblot illustrations that resemble the Rorschach inkblot test. Thumbelina's messy handwritten diary entries with sentences and words crossed out are endearing and look like many of my own diary entries when I was that age. Tweens will relate to Thumbelina's desire to have a bit of freedom and will enjoy this lighthearted and fast-paced book with an unconventional ending.

Kids who enjoy this book may also enjoy Barbara Ensor's Cinderella (As If You Didn't Already Know the Story).

What other bloggers are saying:

Biblio File: "A nice retelling of a fairy tale that gives Thumbelina back her spunk without detracting from Anderson's original." (Read more...)

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