Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale [Hardcover]

Sibylle von Olfers (Author), Sieglinde Schoen-Smith (Illustrator), Jack Zipes (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2007 | Age Range: 3 - 8 years

The incredibly intricate and vivid illustrations in this book are details of a modern quilt inspired by Sibylle von Olfers' classic storybook Mother Earth and Her Children. This vibrant new translation, in turn inspired by the quilt, explores the changing of the seasons and delicately touches upon the circle of life. When Mother Earth calls her children to prepare for spring, the earthly children yawn and stretch before they busy themselves with beautification. They dust off the bumblebees, scrub the beetles, paint bright new coats on the ladybugs, and rouse the caterpillars from their cocoons. Bedecked with new blossoms, the children emerge from the earth and become spring flowers that frolic through the summer and autumn, until the leaves begin to fall and they return to Mother Earth, bringing the weary bugs and beetles back to their winter refuge.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sibylle von Olfers is the author of Etwas von den Wurzelkindern and was an art teacher in East Prussia at the turn of the century as well as a member of the Catholic Order of St. Elizabeth. Sieglinde Schoen-Smith is a quilter whose quilted interpretation of Mother Earth and Her Children captured the coveted Best in Show award at the 2006 International Quilt Show in Houston. She lives in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Jack Zipes is the foremost expert on German folklore in the United States. He is a professor of German literature at the University of Minnesota and has edited, contributed to, and translated more than 50 books, essays, and plays on German folklore, including The Norton Anthology of Children's Literature and The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Breckling Press (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933308184
• ISBN-13: 978-1933308180
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.4 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,610 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful for children, nature lovers and artists! October 30, 2007

By J. Bevilacqua

Format:Hardcover

I bought this book for a quilter-friend who is a new grandmother. Now I want it for myself. On every level this book is a treasure: as gorgeous textile art, as sweet children's literature, as a wonder-filled treatise on the changing seasons. It's a hopeful book of innocent beauty and charm.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Mother Earth and her Children October 22, 2007

By Picture Perfect

Format:Hardcover

What a delightful book for children!!

This "quilted" fairy tale is so magnificently illustrated! Seglinde Schoen Smith holds nothing back in her quest for detailing each and every one of the teeny, tiny bugs, flowers and children. I love the way they each have their own little jobs to do. Wonderfully done. .
It'll make you smile!!

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Mother Earth and Her Children October 15, 2007

By LadyBear

Format:Hardcover

What an incredible book! A delight not only for children but for adults as well. A cute story with beautiful colorful detailed pictures you will not get tired of looking at. Sieglinde Schoen-Smith, Congratulations on your Masterpiece Quilt! I hope everybody gets the chance to see it, it's beyond words. This book is a must-have. It uses pictures of the quilt. It'll make you smile and brighten your day.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Just a retelling of the Root Children October 17, 2011

By Sarah Hames

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you are a fan of gentle stories and old-fashioned children's books, such as those used for Waldorf education, you've probably read Story of the Root Children #1491 by Sibylle Von Olfers. It's a lovely story, so I searched by other books by the same author and came across this title, and ordered it sight unseen.

The book was not what I expected. It is not a new story by the same author, but rather a paraphrased retelling of The Story of the Root Children. Instead of the original illustrations, the pictures are photographs of a quilt that was created based on the original book. I did not realize that "Mother Earth and Her Children" and "The Story of the Root Children" were one and the same, I wish that was a little more clear in the product description.

Don't get me wrong, the quilt is absolutely amazing and spectacular. I'm in awe of how anyone was able to create it, the quilt is a work of art. The dust jacket can be removed and has a little poster on the backside of the full quilt. If you are a fan of quilts or quilting, you will probably appreciate the book just for the beauty of the quilt. And if you are a huge fan of the original Root Children, you may also want this book just to see this lovely "fan art," if you will.

However, if you're like me, and are looking for Waldorf-style picture books, you'll probably prefer the original story with Von Olfer's gentle watercolor illustrations. There's not really a reason to have both of the books, as it is the same story, and basically the same pictures (the quilt is simply a sewn version of the original watercolors....)

This book does have one advantage over the original in that the colors are brighter and the paper quality (at least on the hardcover) is very good and glossy. It's a better quality book than The Story of the Root Children I purchased on Amazon , which did not have the highest quality reproductions and was a little grainy and washed out in places. Also, if you have a very young child you may prefer the shorter text in this version. Otherwise, plan on picking up the original version. Read more ›

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting! December 2, 2007

By Sherry Deleo

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I saw pictures of the quilt featured in this book while reading Quilters Newsletter magazine, read the story behind the quilt, and how the book was published.So then I had to buy the book. The story is enchanting and I can spend hours looking at the detail in the quilt. The only thing better would be seeing it in person.My granddaughter is 3 and she likes for me to read this book to her and talk about the quilt I made for her.I think as she gets older she will enjoy the book even more. It's very inspiring for anybody who likes to quilt, esp. a non traditional kind of quilting.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars mother earth and her children October 14, 2007

By Karie Brothers

Format:Hardcover

Wonderful book! Beautiful photography and imagery. Our children loved the unique, classic tale. Would like to purchase more books like this.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale May 4, 2008

By Louise Blake

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is worth every penny for the close-ups of the quilt used in the illustrations. This is a very pleasant story of the earths renewal. Not too long and not too short, it should hold a young child's attention very well.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Mother Earth and Her Children January 10, 2008

By Carol M. Tackett

Format:Hardcover

The book, the illustrations and the quilt are some of the most exceptional products and projects I have ever seen. The story, the history and translation of the book is so facinating and the illustrations are fabulous. I had the excptional opportunity to see this quilt up close at the Houston International Quilt Show and it was the most awesome work I have ever seen. It is a project that ranks as unbelieveable.