Elves and the Shoemakers [Hardcover]

Jada Rowland (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up

Historical research is combined with folklore to give this old tale new meaning. Set in nineteenth-century England, it is the story of two poor cobblers, Timothy and Elizabeth Sparks, and their encounter with elves. Illustrated in full color.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4-- The traditional tale here is fleshed out with characters given names, personality, and motivation, and the story firmly set in place and time. The result, more short story than folktale, will delight both the ears and the eyes of the children with whom it is shared. The shoemakers (husband and wife both cobble) in Victorian Lancashire are threatened by industrialization. Factory-made shoes are preferred by many to the work of the artisan. Rowland's prose is precise and begs to be read aloud. Such sentences as "Greatly agitated, Timothy scurried up the steps" may confound young readers, but listeners will comprehend and be enriched by the language. The watercolor illustrations beautifully evoke the Victorian era and lend personality to the loving, hardworking couple who do not merely accept the elves' work, but painstakingly learn their methods and ultimately make shoes as fine. The sprightly elves peek out from under and behind chamber pots and other period furnishings in almost every picture. Suitably old-fashioned and unabashedly sentimental, this retelling will provide an ideal New Year's read-aloud. --Louise L. Sherman, Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Contemporary Books (September 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809243555
• ISBN-13: 978-0809243556
• Product Dimensions: 3.2 x 3.1 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,728,209 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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