Little Fur #1: The Legend Begins [Paperback]

Isobelle Carmody (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Little Fur

Who is Little Fur? Why, she's a half elf, half troll, as tall as a three-year-old human child, with slanted green eyes, wild red hair that brambles about her pointed ears, and bare, broad, four-toed feet. Little Fur loves and tends to the Old Ones, the seven ancient trees that protect her home, a small, magical wilderness nestled magically in a park in the midst of a large, bustling human city. When she learns that evil forces are out to destroy her beloved trees, the intrepid halfling must embark on an ambitious and dangerous journey into the human world and down into an ancient cut in the earth, in search of a way to save not only the Old Ones, but the Earth Spirit itself. Geared to young middle-grade readers who are, like our troll heroine, still innocent and natural champions of our earth, Little Fur is an eco-fantasy as wise and fey as it is adventurous and suspenseful.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

When she learns of an evil plot to destroy the world's trees, Little Fur, half-elf, half-troll girl, vows to save her own magical forest, but soon is embroiled on a quest to save the earth spirit itself. This tiny healer does not set out to be a heroine, but her steadfast determination and loyal heart sets her on that path in spite of her quiet, almost timid ways. Along with her crow and cat companions, red-headed Little Fur wends her way from comforting greenspaces to alarming city streets. Since her feet must never leave the ground (otherwise she would lose touch with the flow of earth magic), Little Fur’s route is meandering, long, and fraught with the danger of humans, trolls, and other nefarious creatures. In spite of it all, she finally approaches the chasm where earth’s Old Ones supposedly dwell. Can this tiny Halfling do what no others have been able to do and save the earth spirit?

Isobelle Carmody's enchanting though moralistic eco-fantasy will delight those who love to lose themselves in tales of elves, brownies, and Hobbits. Although Little Fur is somewhat lacking in humor, the elf-troll-eye view of humans is entertaining and astute, and the adventure in is in the classic, satisfying, good versus evil vein. --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6–Nestled deep within a secret wilderness carefully concealed from human eyes lives a small half-elf, half-troll girl. Little Fur is sworn to protect the seven ancient trees that connect directly to the earth-spirit, but learns that fire-loving humans may soon harm her precious enclave. Uncertain of what to do, Little Fur seeks advice from a wise owl, setting her on a quest to awaken the one creature that might bring humanity back to its senses. Accompanied by two cats and a wisecracking crow, the little creature faces her fears and proves that even the smallest heroine can make a difference. This benign eco-fantasy treads familiar territory with its tale of respecting the world around us. It's enjoyable, if occasionally more didactic than necessary. The simple pen-and-ink illustrations are pleasant but don't always pair up well with the action. Also, the book leaves questions regarding Little Fur's ancestry unanswered, setting the stage for future titles in the series. A story best enjoyed by children looking for a low-key fantasy series akin to Patrick Carman's The Land of Elyon books (Scholastic).–Elizabeth Bird, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (January 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375838554
• ISBN-13: 978-0375838552
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.6 x 7.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,198,601 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Little Fur is My Heroine!, December 14, 2007

By 

Pegi Eyers "Lyssanda Studios" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Little Fur: The Legend Begins (Hardcover)

I should have stopped reading Young Adult fiction a lifetime ago yet "Little Fur: The Legend Begins" jumped out at me from the shelf and I'm glad it did! The ecological truths it contains make it a valuable read for all ages. Following the quest and adventures of the charming heroine is a delight. Also, Little Fur has all the attributes of the Divine Feminine that are important to the cultural shift currently going on, away from patriarchal thinking and the wholesale depletion of nature's resources. Little Fur is a tiny "wise woman"; a reader of auras (by olfactory means!), a nurturer and healer of all green growing things and the woodland birds and animals. Part elf and part troll, she is a loving embodiment of sacred earth energy, a protector of the giant trees or "Old Ones" in the sacred grove, and a dweller of the "greenplace". If her feet were to touch anything not of the wild (ie. concrete) she would immediately be cast out of the wilderness and separated from the currents of earth magic forever. This powerful metaphor may point to how the collective soul of humanity (earth-dwellers all) may have been better off if the intrinsic principle of being in close proximity to the earth had been honored throughout the ages. Little Fur and her companions and allies (flora or fauna) are continually shocked by the stupidity and selfishness of the humans' activities. Most of the humans act as if they are NOT a part of the circle of earth energy. The zenith of this philosophy of separation from the natural world is represented by "rogue humans" responsible for crimes against the environment. Carrying her petition to stop them deep into a chasm underground, the beauty and spiritual truth at the heart of Little Fur's story culminates with a powerful "message to humanity" from the mystical Tree Guardian. Highly recommended.

1.0 out of 5 stars To Make Children Hate Mankind...., November 26, 2011

By 

fest (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Fur: The Legend Begins (Hardcover)

I deeply disliked this book. I consider myself very environmentally conscious, but I found this book to be full of self-hate for humans in way that really offended me--Little Fur, when asking animals who live with humans for details about them has NIGHTMARES after their talks and although the animals say they like humans, "nothing he said ever made her think of them as anything but dangerous". She has no encounters to change this assumption by the end of the book. For an "earth-loving" book, there is also a lot of characterization of various animals as selfish, stupid, or cruel, of which I disapproved. For example, she describes "all bird minds" as "scrambled... no shadings to suggest a deeper intelligence." And this is all in just the first few pages... I could go on and on. To top it off, there were plot holes and inconsistencies that would irritate any thoughtful reader.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging tale of courage and fantasy., January 6, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Fur: The Legend Begins (Hardcover)

Isobelle Carmody's LITTLE FUR: THE LEGEND BEGINS provides grades 4-6 with a cute story of a half-elf, half-troll girl who cares for a magical grove of trees in the middle of a big city. Evil forces are out to destroy them - and it's up to Little Fur to journey into the human world to save them in this engaging tale of courage and fantasy.