Customer Reviews

Tal, His Marvelous Adventures with Noom-Zor-Noom

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This book is a classic children's tale that nourishes the imagination of all children. A young boy, Tal, journeys with a wise, old collector of stories, Noom-Zor-Noom, who must succeed in finding a story that would delight a young child. Noom-Zor-Noom must tell his story to a King who has lost his only son. The magical golden door conceals the secret of the king's lost son. Only a story that would delight a child, like Tal, will open the door and return the king's son. This marvelous book contains the story of their journey to the kingdom as well as all the stories Noom-Zor-Noom has collected. A talking, white donkey with bells in her ears, Millitinkle, accompanies the boy and the old man. This trio and their unforgettable story has enchanted every elementary school class I have taught, as well as my own children. If you teach or have children in grades 2-5, read this story to them at least twice, and you will have given them a wonderful gift.

My mother introduced this book to me when I was in third grade, only about 7 years ago, she would read a chapter to me and my sister every night, one night she let me read a chapter by myself while she went to sleep. 3 o'clock in the morning, I finished the book. I hadn't been able to put it down. This book is a wonderful whirlwind of fantasy and magic that even me and my sister, 74 years after it was originally published, absolutly adore. This book is a treasure and I'm glad it is still avalable somewhere for people to find.

I took this out of the library in the first grade and my mom read it to me at least three times. It was my first "chapter book". I still remember this book 25 years later and I searched for this book for years in used bookstores (it was out of print). Amazon finally has it and I am finally going to order my copy today. It's a big time commitment for whoever will help with the reading but I remember each chapter worked like it's own bedtime story.

Far-fetched fiction at its best. A magical journey through a strange universe. Perfect for those who do not have established notions about the world or who are willing to put them aside. Noom-Zor-Noom and Millitinkle are reminiscent of Balaam and his talking quadruped. A delightful book of stories nested within stories, nested within stories, nested within stories... Completely new material. It's highly unlikely that one will run into any other storybook quite like this one.

My children loved this book - ages 9,8, and 5 all couldn't wait until we could sit and read the next chapter. Even my husband didn't want to miss a night.

My father read this book to my brother and I over 30 years ago, and we still quote parts of the book today. My father was about 30, I was about 10 and my brother was about 6 - and all 3 of us were affected by the magic of this story. Unfortunately for Amazon, I will read to my children from the hard copy that has been in our family for generations, but to those reading this review, I recommend that get your own copy and bless your children (and yourself) with a great story.

This is the most wonderful book! My son's first grade teacher has been reading the story of Tal and the children are enthralled. I purchased the book because I know he will want to read this himself when he gets a bit older.

My father first read Tal to me when I was a small child, it having been one of his own favorite children's books. His mother had read it to him. As I grew up, I re-read it from time to time just to be absorbed yet again in the fantastic world Paul Fenimore Cooper created for a new rendition of "The Lost Prince" plot. Interwoven through their magical travels are these incredible vignettes, as Noom-Zor-Noom tells Tal stories he has collected over the years, looking for one that might please the lost prince of Troom.

The baby prince was kidnapped from his cradle by a great bird when he was an infant, and hasn't been seen since. But a magical oracle the king has instructed him to create the storytelling contest, and his son would be returned to him. Noom-Zor-Noom has traveled the world finding the best stories he can, and is bringing them back written in tiny golden ink on a black crystal carried on the back of his beautiful, white donkey, Millitinkle. When Tal asks for his story, he finds out how she came to be all white and able to talk, a wonderful tale in itself.

The vignettes throughout the book are fairy tales in the classic sense, but are not derivative of those we're familiar with from Grimm and others. Instead, Cooper weaves an entirely new tapestry of rich authenticity that is at once familiar, and also fantastically alien.

The book is illustrated throughout with marvelous woodcuts, an illustration style popular in the early part of the 20th century, but not seen much today. They are rich and beautiful additions to the words of the story.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone with a child who enjoys wonder, even if that child is fully grown in body. It is a beautiful book, and I cannot understand why it has so long been out of print. Maybe, someday, it will be re-released to the joy of future generations.

My second grade teacher, Ms. Garretz, read this to the class and then we performed it as a play. It's a fantastic book, full of adventure and suspense and imagination and the power of story-telling. The themes are broad, the plot twists work well for the under 10 crowd, and the story within a story format keeps interest high.

my 3rd/4th grade teacher had one of the original copies of this book, and would read it to our class. it was somewhat of a legacy. it's AMAZING