Stuart Little [Hardcover]

E. B. White (Author), Garth Williams (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: February 1, 2005 | Age Range: 8 and up

A hardcover edition of this treasured story, for which Garth Williams's original black-and-white line drawings for the jacket of Stuart Little have been colorized by the celebrated illustrator Rosemary Wells.

Stuart Little is no ordinary mouse. Born to a family of humans, he lives in New York City with his parents, his older brother George, and Snowbell the cat. Though he's shy and thoughtful, he's also a true lover of adventure.

Stuart's greatest adventure comes when his best friend, a beautiful little bird named Margalo, disappears from her nest. Determined to track her down, Stuart ventures away from home for the very first time in his life. He finds adventure aplenty. But will he find his friend?

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

How terribly surprised the Little family must have been when their second child turned out to be a small mouse. Apparently familiar with the axiom that "when in New York City, anything can happen," the Littles accept young Stuart into their family unquestioningly--with the exception of Snowbell the cat who is unable to overcome his instinctive dislike for the little mouse. They build him a bed from a matchbox, and supply him with all of the accoutrements a young mouse could need. Mrs. Little even fashions him a suit, because baby clothes would obviously be unsuitable for such a sophisticated mouse. In return, Stuart helps his tall family with errant Ping-Pong balls that roll outside of their reach.

E. B. White takes Stuart on a hero's quest across the American countryside, introducing the mouse--and the reader--to a myriad of delightful characters. Little finds himself embroiled in one adventure after another from the excitement of racing sailboats to the unseen horrors of substitute teaching. This is a story of leaving home for the first time, of growing up, and ultimately of discovering oneself. At times, doesn't everyone feel like the sole mouse in a family--and a world--of extremely tall people? (Ages 9 to 12)

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. Readers will welcome this Spanish edition of a beloved tale, first published in 1945, about a two-inch-tall mouse with a big heart and a love for adventure. The fluid text resonates with the original wit and whimsy that marked White's clever intermingling of fantasy and real life. Miguez's joyous translation maintains the author's rhyming play on words by using appropriate substitutions--for example, gorrion, dragon, and raton for the English louse, grouse, and souse. A few Peninsular Spanish pronouns and conjugations (vuestras, podeis, sabreis) won't deter Spanish speakers from the Americas from enjoying Stuart Little's wonderful escapades. Isabel Schon
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 131 pages
• Publisher: Harper & Row (February 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060263954
• ISBN-13: 978-0060263959
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (157 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #65 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs & Squirrels

More About the Author

E.B. White, the author of twenty books of prose and poetry, was awarded the 1970 Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for his children's books, Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web. This award is now given every three years "to an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have, over a period of years, make a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children." The year 1970 also marked the publication of Mr. White's third book for children, The Trumpet of the Swan, honored by The International Board on Books for Young People as an outstanding example of literature with international importance. In 1973, it received the Sequoyah Award (Oklahoma) and the William Allen White Award (Kansas), voted by the school children of those states as their "favorite book" of the year.

Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Mr. White attended public schools there. He was graduated from Cornell University in 1921, worked in New York for a year, then traveled about. After five or six years of trying many sorts of jobs, he joined the staff of The New Yorker magazine, then in its infancy. The connection proved a happy one and resulted in a steady output of satirical sketches, poems, essays, and editorials. His essays have also appeared in Harper's Magazine, and his books include One Man's Meat, The Second Tree from the Corner, Letters of E.B. White, The Essays of E.B. White and Poems and Sketches of E.B. White. In 1938 Mr. White moved to the country. On his farm in Maine he kept animals, and some of these creatures got into his stories and books. Mr. White said he found writing difficult and bad for one's disposition, but he kept at it. He began Stuart Little in the hope of amusing a six-year-old niece of his, but before he finished it, she had grown up.

For his total contribution to American letters, Mr. White was awarded the 1971 National Medal for Literature. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy named Mr. White as one of thirty-one Americans to receive the Presidential Medal for Freedom. Mr. White also received the National Institute of Arts and Letters' Gold Medal for Essays and Criticism, and in 1973 the members of the Institute elected him to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a society of fifty members. He also received honorary degrees from seven colleges and universities. Mr. White died on October 1, 1985.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The best ending... melancholy October 7, 1999

By bridgecross

Format:Hardcover

The most common complaint about Sutart Little is the ending, or lack of ending. I disagree. The story is one of growing up, and sadness, and yearning for something just out of reach. The brilliant E.B. White denies us a happy-Disney ending, avoids "closure". The story is just like life; it is a journey, not a package. The loose ends don't need to be cleared up with a sequel. Stuart has grown up and struck off on his own, the end. When I first read this story as a young boy, it gave me my first taste of melancholy. This should be the first "profound" book that a child reads, for it leaves you feeling sad, but hopeful.

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Stuart Little November 29, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

Stuart Little is about a mouse who was born to a normal human family. Stuart must overcome large obstacles as a small being. One day Margalo, a bird, entered Stuart's life. They became instant friends. One day the family cat, Snowbell, and an alley cat came up with a plan to kill Margalo. Another bird overheard the plan and sent a note to Margalo. Margalo left and almost falls in love, but nothing cound keep Stuart from searching for Margalo. Stuart Little is a wonderful novel that appeals to children because of its curious blend of fantasy and reality. Children can relate to some of the obstacles Stuart encounters because of his size. This story helps children to learn to use determination in order to overcome obstacles they might face in life.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most excellent pieces of children's literature January 14, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

I fell in love with White's "Stuart Little" in the 4th grade, when my teacher read this gem of a book out loud to us. Even today, as an adult, the clever, jaunty Stuart Little is a favorite of mine. The book is about the adventures of Stuart, a small mouse who was born to human parents. From driving a model car given him by his dentist friend to his run-ins with the family cat, Stuart's innocent hi-jinx and fun-loving nature will keep kids and adults laughing. "Stuart Little" is a lively getaway from our sometimes violent and tumultuous world.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars My 4 year old loves this book June 17, 2005

By Jackie Alan Giuliano, Ph.D.

Format:Hardcover

I was moved to write this review after reading some of the negative comments made about the book being boring, difficult to understand, or containing values that the parent did not want to pass on to the child. Stuart Little represents an important example of the some of the challenges of selecting reading materials for our children and tests us as parents in many ways. I didn't know how my boy would respond when I began reading it, since I knew it was one of those children's books that has been enjoyed by adults because of its adult humor, archaic language, few pictures. My 4 year old absolutely loves this book. We are on our second reading and a few nights ago, while he was laying in bed after our bedtime reading, he broke out laughing about how Stuart's brother, George, wanted to pour applesauce down the mousehole!

The book was written in 1945, so many of the cultural references are dated, including how gender roles are perceived. But part of our responsibilities as parents is to expose our children to the evolution of thought in our culture, and that includes finding ways to explain how people's behavior has change over the years. A young child has already likely experienced many different behaviors in the children around them from daycare, preschool, or even playgroups. What better way to have an opportunity to prepare your child for the many different views he or she will encounter.

But the message of Stuart Little is a powerful one that can be so useful to a child. Here is a 2-inch tall "person" who "looks like" a mouse, yet he is part of a human family. He has the most amazing obstacles in his life, yet he overcomes them with enthusiasm and joy. The use of actual sailing vocabulary is a wonderful choice by the author.... What a great opportunity to expose our children to other language and to show them that specialized language exists for all fields of study, even hobbies. Doesn't even Winnie the Pooh have its own specialized vocabulary (smackrel, blustery day, etc.)?

Stuart doesn't always make the right choices. This provides another great opportunity for discussion, regardless of the child's age. I am a parent who doesn't want to reinforce some of the stereotypes of our past that get in the way of people connecting, whether they be gender inequities or other issues. But it is important that my child get a framework for understanding how the way people have acted toward one another. In the last chapter of the book, Stuart meets a very self-assured girl who, by the way, he asks out on a date is an outdated, but respectful and wonderful way. He winds up being unable to continue connecting with her after his carefully imagined plans don't go as he dreamed. He is upset because things didn't go his way and couldn't get past his disappointment. What a great thing to discuss with a child.

We also have to give our children credit for their intellectual abilities and imagination. I was quite surprised how my boy listens intently through the archaic language and vocabulary and finds the story.

Stuart Little is a great book for that next step for the young child who has only had picture books read to him or her so far. It is a good beginning book for parents to learn how to introduce their child to the varied, challenging, sometimes confusing world out there in a very non-threatening, interesting way. Don't underestimate this book. Read more ›

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars what a great book for children November 5, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

"When Mrs. Frederick C. Little's second child arrived . . . the baby looked much like a mouse in every way." (pg.1) In fact, her second child is a mouse; however, the family treats him like a member of the family. They never even say the m-word (mouse), as to not hurt Stuart's feelings. Throughout the book, Stuart encounters numerous exciting adventures, unknown to his protective family. Children love the idea that even though Stuart is 2inches-tall he still overcomes many obstacles. Stuart Little's emotions and adventures he experiences in this book are very similar to what children face every day; for example, going to the dentist, first love, being homesick, and bullies. One underlying theme I found within the book was accepting children for their differences and not sheltering them from lifes' experiences.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars classic children's book July 25, 2002

By Will o' the Wisp

Format:Paperback

This is perhaps my favorite children's book. Stuart's adventures and his zest for life make him one of children's literature's most memorable characters. I thought that "Stuart Little" was E.B. White's best book, far better than "Charlotte's Web."

My favorite parts of the book include the epic sailboat raise between the WASP and the LILLIAN B. WOMWATH in Central Park, with Stuart heroically helming the WASP to victory, especially Stuart's interview with the dentist who owns the WASP. "Do you drink?" "I do my work," said Stuart dryly.

Another great tale within the story is his date with the tiny girl, that he plans so mightily for only to have it be a disaster. . .his philosophical talk with the telephone repairman along the road. . .I felt that the ending of the book was just right, Stuart motoring off in his little car, looking for Margalo, not knowing where to find her but sensing that somehow he was going in the right direction. Like all great children's literature, "Stuart Little" I think also strikes a deep chord with adults. The book meant a lot to me, having read it as a child, when I read it for the first time to my own son.