The Illustrated Wee Free Men (Discworld) [Hardcover]

Terry Pratchett (Author), Stephen Player (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2008 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Discworld

There's trouble on the Aching farm: monsters in the river, headless horsemen in the lane—and Tiffany Aching's little brother has been stolen by the Queen of Fairies. Getting him back will require all of Tiffany's strength and determination (as well as a sturdy skillet) and the help of the rowdy clan of fightin', stealin' tiny blue-skinned pictsies known as the Wee Free Men!

Master storyteller and gifted comic Terry Pratchett is at his best in the adventures of Tiffany Aching and her tiny blue allies. Their first irresistible story comes to life in this lavishly illustrated edition, perfect for fans old and new.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6–10—This new edition of the first book in Pratchett's excellent "Tiffany Aching" series (HarperTempest) features full-color illustrations that are true to the author's keen descriptions. Fans of the original won't find faults: Tiffany looks like a true nine-year-old, and the blue-skinned Wee Free Men seem appropriately fierce and funny at the same time. Three well-chosen foldouts show key plot transitions as Tiffany first sees the Wee Free Men, later steps into the fairy world, and ultimately unleashes her full powers. Plentiful spot illustrations and creative use of space show that the illustrator has clearly entered into the spirit of Tiffany's world. Significant words occasionally appear behind the text in light gray, appropriate for a girl who has read the dictionary (because "no one told her you weren't supposed to"). Line drawings of Wee Free Men frequently appear along page borders as they hang from, climb up, and occasionally steal the letters of the text. Recurring passages that tell the backstory of Tiffany's Granny, merely italicized in the original edition, are now cleverly highlighted by insets resembling yellowed paper. Pratchett's expertly written fantasy works fine without any pictures, but these attractive images are quite effective without overwhelming the words. For less sophisticated readers, the visual elements may serve as reference points to help them navigate the rich setting and cohesive but complex plot.—Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR
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Review

“Quite, quite brilliant.”
–Starburst

“Plenty to laugh at here, not least Pratchett’s ability to put a 90 degree spin on the familiar.”
–The Times --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (September 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061340804
• ISBN-13: 978-0061340802
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #716,392 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Terry Pratchett sold his first story when he was fifteen, which earned him enough money to buy a second-hand typewriter. His first novel, a humorous fantasy entitled The Carpet People, appeared in 1971 from the publisher Colin Smythe. Terry worked for many years as a journalist and press officer, writing in his spare time and publishing a number of novels, including his first Discworld novel, The Color of Magic, in 1983. In 1987 he turned to writing full time, and has not looked back since. To date there are a total of 36 books in the Discworld series, of which four (so far) are written for children. The first of these children's books, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, won the Carnegie Medal. A non-Discworld book, Good Omens, his 1990 collaboration with Neil Gaiman, has been a longtime bestseller, and was reissued in hardcover by William Morrow in early 2006 (it is also available as a mass market paperback (Harper Torch, 2006) and trade paperback (Harper Paperbacks, 2006). Terry's latest book, Nation, a non-Discworld standalone YA novel was published in October of 2008 and was an instant New York Times and London Times bestseller. Regarded as one of the most significant contemporary English-language satirists, Pratchett has won numerous literary awards, was named an Officer of the British Empire "for services to literature" in 1998, and has received four honorary doctorates from the Universities of Warwick, Portsmouth, Bath, and Bristol. His acclaimed novels have sold more than 55 million copies (give or take a few million) and have been translated into 36 languages. Terry Pratchett lives in England with his family, and spends too much time at his word processor.  Some of Terry's accolades include: The Carnegie Medal, Locus Awards, the Mythopoetic Award, ALA Notable Books for Children, ALA Best Books for Young Adults, Book Sense 76 Pick, Prometheus Award and the British Fantasy Award.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crivens! There's Pictures!, October 6, 2008

By 

James D. DeWitt "Alaska Fan" (Fairbanks, AK United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Illustrated Wee Free Men (Discworld) (Hardcover)

Wee Free Men is a children's book, but in the great tradition of British children's novels: it can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. For my money, it is Pratchett's finest children's book. In the precocious, ferociously intelligent young witch Tiffany Aching he has created one of the great child protagonists in the genre. In the drinking, thieving, fighting and cussing Nac Mac Feegles, the Pictsies, the wee free men of the title, he has one of the comic forces of nature. The combination will make you laugh out loud. Repeatedly.

This 2008 edition brings Stephen Player's illustrations to Pratchett's 2003 novel. In some ways, some of the illustrations are a little too sweet. Tiffany Aching probably isn't that pretty, and I'm completely certain that Nac Mac Feegles are not nearly that clean or cute. But in other ways the illustrations are masterful. Tiffany's "unsuitable boots" are perfect. There are four delightful fold-out pages, the flashbacks are styled as diary pages, and the text of signs are set out as signs. The monsters are monsters, just short of terrifying, especially the dromes and the nightmares. And there's even a bit of new material for those of us who have read (and re-read) the book already.

The cameos by the Discworld's most famous witches at the end are spot-on. And Player's copy of "The Fairy Fellers' Master-Stroke" is inspired, even if the Feegle is being vulgar.

Too often, illustrations added later simply float over the story. Stephen Player's drawings, to a very considerable extent, add to the pleasure of the book. When Tiffany finds the way into Faerie, the fold-out drawing hides and reveals, just as Tiffany struggles to see with First Sight.

Player has brought new and additional delight to a delightful book. Very highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully done, November 14, 2008

By 

Old Scout "CampingFanatic" (Ohio) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Illustrated Wee Free Men (Discworld) (Hardcover)

I purchased this as a gift for a niece, and I must say it is beautifully done. It's Pratchett so that screams quality from the get go for the writting, and if you don't know what I'm talking about you have a lot of reading to catch up on. The Illustrations are nice, and there are a lot of little touches done with the pages that you generally only find in short picture books. The quality of the bindings and paper is of library quality. All in all a great product that I'm sure a child will be able to enjoy for a life time, even when they are eventually a big job themselves.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Illustrated version adds a lot!, June 9, 2011

By 

T. Kaplan (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Illustrated Wee Free Men (Discworld) (Hardcover)

While those of us who love Terry Pratchett and any novel within the Discworld/Tiffany Aching series do not need the illustrated version to enjoy this book, it is a wonderful edition to read and own. I purchased it after having read all of the regular editions of the Tiffany Aching series, and enjoyed rereading it with the illustrations. I think it would be a great way to get kids (probably 8+ year olds, as some of the illustrations are a bit scary for little ones) into the series. The Nac Mac Feegles are drawn just as the small figurines (those licensed by Terry Pratchett) appear. The colorful illustrations really bring the story to life. I highly recommend this edition to any and all Terry Pratchett fans.