Customer Reviews

Thumbelina: Tiny Runaway Bride

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Thumbelina: Tiny Runaway Brideby Barbara Ensor is a contemporary spin on the classic tale of the tiny girl, Thumbelina. The book begins showing Thumbelina's mother, Anne Marie, who is desperate for a child handing over her life savings to a witch. Anne Marie gets her child, and as we all know, this child is so small that her mother names her Thumbelina.

As Thumbelina grows, we see that her mother becomes extremely overbearing and overprotective. She reads Thumbelina's diary, edits her spelling and grammar, and writes her own comments to her daughter's private thoughts in the diary itself. Thumbelina is a bit spunky and longs to go outside on her own and to have a bit of freedom. When her mother reluctantly grants her wish, she is carried off by a mother toad, looking for a bride for her son. The rest of the story chronicles Thumbelina's escape from the toad and her adventures that follow.

Scattered throughout the book are inkblot illustrations that resemble the Rorschach inkblot test. Thumbelina's messy handwritten diary entries with sentences and words crossed out are endearing and look like many of my own diary entries when I was that age. Tweens will relate to Thumbelina's desire to have a bit of freedom and will enjoy this lighthearted and fast-paced book with an unconventional ending.

Once again Ensor's witty and fresh approach to a classic fairy tale captivates the reader and keeps the pages turning. The scumptious illustrations are icing on the cake. A must for every smart girl's bookshelf. I can't wait for the next in the series.

Thumbelina: Tiny Runaway Bride follows the adventures of the tiny, thumb-length character most of us have already encountered in other stories, which is one of the reasons I'm going to skip the short plot summary.

If you have ever seen the movie or read the Hans Christian Anderson version (or any version), you pretty much have a very good idea of what this fairy tale retelling is about. There are few original additions to this story, even counting the alternate ending to what most of us are familiar with and the inclusion of diary entries. An example of what my reading experience was like concerning this book is a rerun. Reading this version of Thumbelina was similar to watching a rerun of a television show that I've seen many times before. Maybe it's entertaining at parts, but I know what happens next, and nothing surprises. Even the sort of surprise ending of this version of Thumbelina didn't surprise me. By the time I neared the last few pages, I expected it. That being said, while I am a little disappointed that the story didn't have as many surprises as I'd hoped (especially since it's a retelling), it was still a cute (and very familiar), short read. I think it would make an excellent read-aloud, but I would suggest checking it out from the library instead of making a purchase.

Like all good independent girls who will grow up to be adventurous, spirited and independent women, Thumbelina doesn't understand why her mother wants to oppress her so much and keep her safe from the big, bad world. Thumbelina decides to venture away from Anne Marie, her desperately clutchy mom, and finds out what the real world has in store for her, good and bad.

THUMBELINA, the classic Hans Christian Andersen story, finds a brave, bold and funny new telling in Barbara Ensor's THUMBELINA, TINY RUNAWAY BRIDE. Her Anne Marie wishes plaintively for a child, echoing the attention paid to biological clocks by most of the moms who will read this book. However, when the seed an old witch gives her becomes the brave and freewheeling Thumbelina, Anne Marie does everything she can to keep the child at home and safe in her own guarded environment. Considering that Thumbelina is the size of a human thumb, well, who can blame her? However, on a hot and sultry summer's evening, Thumbelina takes the plunge, moving forth into the crazy world to find that maybe her mom was right after all about the dangers that awaited her.

Using the funny and heartfelt personal diary of young Thumbelina, as well as glimpses into the heart and soul of her protective and loving mother, this retelling of the classic story unfolds in an exciting new way. With contemporary vernacular and attitude, it marches the fairy tale into the 21st century and engages modern readers, young and old, with its vivacious and sassy tone and the extremely dangerous and nutty situations that arise for our young protagonist as she ventures into the big bad world.

The fantastic style of the book, the hardcover, the trim size, the font and the color all exceed expectations, and its overall look adds to the wonderfully inspired story. It touches on elements that the fairy tale never did, and the volume is a joy just to hold in your hand. Ensor has found a magical way into what could have been a precious but stale story. With artistic details that excite and engage the eye, THUMBELINA is surely a title that will create a lot of traffic to the family bookshelf.

--- Reviewed by Jana Siciliano

Anne Marie is desperate for a baby, even if it means going to a witch for help. That witch gives Anne Marie a seed, which in no time at all produces a flower holding the tiny Thumbelina. Thumbelina is curious, brave, and extremely adventurous. She doesn't understand why her mother wants to keep her safe and protected all the time when everyone from the outside world seems so nice. But one summer night, she'll begin her journey to find out for herself what the world is truly like.

Thumbelina: Tiny Runaway Bride is the perfect book for those questioning minds that always want more than the glossed over and short version of the original tale written by Hans Christian Anderson. Full of details and glimpses into Thumbelina's personal diary, this is one delightful story packed full of details that will satisfy even the most inquisitive reader as we watch Thumbelina escape the most unfortunate engagements as she discovers the world around her and searches for where she truly belongs.

Like Ensor's other fairy tale retelling (Cinderella: As if You Didn't Already Know the Story), Thumbelina offers nothing new to the genre. The plot is unchanged, except for a silly "Girl power" ending that feels pointlessly out of place. Ensor's attempts at making Thumbelina a spunky girl fall flat, creating instead a two-dimensional irritant that is exactly the same as her Cinderella character (even down to the same type of journal entries).

Girls looking for a good version of Thumbelina should check out the animated movie (1994 Jodi Benson). This Thumbelina is spunky without being annoying, and significantly more developed than Ensor's flat characters. The animation is also much more visually attractive than Ensor's ugly cut-out illustrations.

Many know the story of Thumbelina. She is a very tiny girl who one day went on the adventure of a lifetime. She met toads, a mouse, a mole, and a swallow.

She also met her true love -- the little king of the flowers.

Barbara Ensor takes the classic story and makes some changes of her own, based on her logic of how the story should end.

This easy and fast read will be very entertaining to readers of all ages. With only about 150 pages, the reader can learn the entire story of Thumbelina in a short time. The story flows from one scene to another, bringing the classic character of Thumbelina to life.

Readers are sure to enjoy this fascinating story re-created by Ms. Ensor.

Reviewed by: Steph