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

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

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

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

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Breckling Press (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933308184
• ISBN-13: 978-1933308180
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #49,966 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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 (Portland, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale (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.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

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

By 

Picture Perfect "Nin" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale (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 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale (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.