Poor Stainless: A New Story About the Borrowers [Hardcover]

Mary Norton (Author), Beth and Joe Krush (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1971

Tragedy is feared when the youngest of a family of miniature people is discovered missing.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Again the Krushes illustrate vividly a story about the minuscule folk, an adventure shorter but just as endearing as Norton's previous, international bestsellers. Arrietty listens to her mother Homily's reminiscence of the time in her childhood when the mother's cousin Stainless was missing. Afraid of the "human beans" whose house the Borrowers live in secretly, the tiny people nevertheless bravely search the whole place for the boy. Homily doesn't look willingly, for he plays mean tricks on all the children and their parents dote on him. But she helps, even endures the sneers of the Overmantel Borrowers, vain of their status Upstairs in the posh house. Homily rejoices, therefore, when both the snobs and Stainless get their comeuppance upon his return at the sudden, unforeseen end of the tale.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich; 1st edition (November 1971)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152632212
• ISBN-13: 978-0152632212
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,647 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as interesting as the other books in the series..., July 31, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Poor Stainless: A New Story About the Borrowers (Hardcover)

This is a short story of a young borrower, Stainless, who was asked to go 'borrow' a bit of parsley from the human beings. Borrowing a bit of parsley is a simple job for any borrower, even young ones. Maybe a 5-minute job. But little Stainless was gone for a whole day and night. His mother was very worried about his safety, so the borrower grandfathers, passed an order that all borrowers, no matter male or female (except the very young ones), form search parties to look for Stainless. You have to read the rest to find out what happened because if I go on with the review, you'll know what happened in the end as it is really a very short story. Happy reading!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A memory of earlier Borrower days, August 31, 2001

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Poor Stainless: A New Story About the Borrowers (Hardcover)

While Arrietty and Homily sit and sew on a piece of cloth, Arrietty asks for a story. Homily reaches back and tells of an adventure from her younger days. When she was young, there was a mischievous boy Borrower named Stainless Knife Machines (a Borrower's last name is always drawn from where they live). When Stainless disappears one day, everyone goes looking for "poor Stainless."

Written in 1966, this book shows how Mary Norton might have gone on writing charming Borrower short stories. Ah, what might have been... Anyway, this short little story (32 pages, including illustrations) is quite interesting and fun to read. Please introduce your children to the Borrowers!