Customer Reviews

Gnomes

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Everyone should own this book - it is utterly irresistable! It has magical characters, magnificent finely drawn illustrations, and presents an overall philosophy of life that we could all learn lessons from. Please don't be fooled into thinking that it is just a children's book - it is a wonderful addition to any library.

It has a believable and detailed discussion of the food is are most loved by gnomes, how they raise their children, when they marry, where they live, what sorts of pets they have (cute mice in little baskets!) and how they tend to animals in the wild. The section which shows a cut away of their house is worth the purchase price alone - the imagination and thought that has gone into this book is amazing.

So if you want a little whimsy in your library, or on your coffee table, this is the book for you. If you want a book with magnificently detailed ilustrations, this is a book for you. Overall I think it is a book for everyone who is young at heart, or who likes a little magic in their everyday lives.

In 1976 a delightful book was published in the Netherlands. It was titled "Leven en werken van de Kabouter". Luckily for us, the Abrams publishing company found this book and translated it to the english version, titled "Gnomes", in 1977. Twenty five years later, a special edition has been released to the public.

For the art lover, this book is filled with wonderful illustrations! It was illustrated by Rien Poortvliet, and I will be doing an article on him later, for those who are interested.

This book is a must have for any fantasy lover. It is formatted as a diary of Gnome facts and sightings. Many of the illustrations are accompanied by hand-written notes. The book covers all aspects of Gnome life, from birth to marriage, and on to death. Each subject is carefully organized, and written about fully!

The book also briefly covers other mythological figures, of a more sinister nature. They discuss the conection that gnomes have with these creatures of darkness.

At the end of the book are a few fairy tales about gnomes, these brought back many fond memories of my father reading them to me before bed time!

One small note of caution; there is some nudity, and some graphic images of injuries, so I would not reccommend this book for small children. Parents, use your own judgement and preview before purchasing!

This book is charmingly written and exquisitely illustrated. It takes the reader deep into the world of the Gnomes, tiny people no more than 5 inches tall that are found all over the world, but rarely ever seen by man. The habits, and history of the Gnomes are also detailed. Find out how old Gnomes live to be, what a Snotgurgle is and why Gnomes avoid trolls at all cost. You will be delighted and amazed by Gnomes and you might even begin to look for them yourself.

I was first introduced to this book as a young child. It was one of my grandma's coffee table books. I poured over page after page of the amazing illustrations. I looked at it so much, my grandma eventually gave the book to me. This book actually makes you believe in gnomes.
In addition to the awesome pictures, this book covers everything on gnomes and I mean everything...anatomy, physiology, medicine, transportation, family life, types of gnomes and where they live...and much, much more. My favorite part is the illustration of the house. This is a great book for children, for the young at heart, and for those interested in "imaginary" beings.

**FYI, there are pictures of naked gnomes, so you may want to look through this book before allowing young children to see it. **

I absolutely love this book. I want every morsel of it to be fact, rather than fiction. I want it to be real. It's beautiful, well written... and makes a great story time for children. I really love this book!!

This delightful book has been a wonderful resource to my family over the years. It has charmed all six of my children when moping in bed because of sickness, and is now loaned out to grand-children. It doesn't sit on the shelves with the other books; and visitors invariably pick it up and flip through it - then need to have it torn from their grasp to come and sit up to table.

I think the most extraordinary thing about it is that it has no age range - it really is for anyone and everyone......

I remember this book as a child in our town library. I fell in love with it. I asked numerous years for this as a present for various holidays. My parents could never find it for sale. I now have a book that I can share with my children who love it as much as I did.

I received a copy of this book when I was a teenager and it made a believer of me both then and NOW. It is highly imaginative, well thought out and beautifuuly illustrated! A book I have read many times over.

This book is amazing.When I first read it I was really fascinated and while on a trip to Europe, thought I would be lucky to see them. I later realized that it is not important to see wether they exist or not but learn that to live in harmony with nature would be mans greatest advantage.Natures bounties are boundless.Be kind to all living creatures and care for your environment is a great lesson that I learnt from this wonderful book

This book will enrapt you! It's bucolic atmosphere, all the wonderful illustrations, the beautiful hardcover bookbinding, and those little fubsy folks! Great at all!
Perfectly convincing and consistent, this isn't a book made for children. Left your bias out and take a squint, you won't take too much pages to fall in love with 'Gnomes'.
And don't be surprised if after reading it, you catch yourself constantly looking for something in the floor...