Thumbelina

Pinkney, Brian. 2003. Thumbelina. New York: Greenwillow Books.

A woman who wanted a child very badly wish for a child of her own. An old woman gave her a magic seed and when it bloomed there was a beautiful flower with a tiny child inside. The woman named her Thumbelina because she was no bigger than her thumb. She took very good care of her, until one day a toad kidnapped her and planned for her to marry his son. The toad put her in the middle of a pond, until the fish sat her free. She came upon a butterfly that she tied a sash too and swept her away into the forest. Thumbelina was content living among all of the beautiful flowers and warm sunlight, but when winter came she was hungry and very lonely. A field mouse took her in, but made her promise to help clean and tell stories. Her neighbor, a blind, rich, mole fell in love with her beautiful voice and wished to make her his wife. She reluctantly agreed and as the mole was taking her deep underground she came upon a bird, that he believed to be dead. Thumbelina felt sorry for the bird and brought a blanket of hay for the bird when she noticed that his heart was beating. She realized that the bird wasn't dead, but only cold from the harsh winter. She continued to take care of the bird until the spring, when she dug out a hole and set him free. The bird wanted Thumbelina to come with him, but she refused knowing that the mole and field mouse would be upset. On her wedding day, she walked outside to say goodbye to all of the things she loved like the flowers and the sun. She suddenly heard a bird chirpping and it was the swallow who had come to rescue her. She boarded upon his back and he took her to a field of beautiful flowers and to her amazement there were other timy people like her there. The King gave her his crown and asked her to be his wife. She couldn't refuse and knew that this would be the right husband for her. The flower people brought wonderful gifts to her and they lived happily ever after.

Pinkney retells and illustrates the story by Hans Christian Anderson in a magical way. The bright colors and soft lines demostrate how fragile and delicate Thumbelina can be, yet how strong she is to make such a long journey on her own. The simple vocabulary could be easily understood by most of the readers. This abridged version is a nice addition to any child folktale collection.