Thimbleberry Stories (Paperback)

~ (Author), Maggie Kneen (Illustrator) "NIGEL CHIPMUNK LIVED IN A COZY LITTLE cottage on Thimbleberry Lane, and he was quite the homebody..." (more)
Key Phrases: Little Owl, Thimbleberry Lane, Passalong Pond (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Four cozy stories lovingly chronicle the domestic adventures of Nigel Chipmunk and his friends, all of whom live on or around Thimbleberry Lane. Without heavy-handed moralizing, Rylant's (The Blue Hill Meadows) characters, all with their own appealing quirks and idiosyncrasies, accept and enjoy one another's differences. Nigel, an energetic housecleaner, breakfasts on dandelion scones with lavender tea; Copper, a butterfly, wears ornaments on her antennae; Claudius, a lazy garter snake, prefers paper plates to china; and Mudpuppy, a salamander, drinks health tonics. The characters appreciate their diversity. As Dipper, a hummingbird, says: "Oh, I've been living in poppy gardens too long. I've forgotten not all the world is hummingbirds. That is why I moved to Thimbleberry Lane: variety." Kneen's (Milly and Tilly: The Story of a Town Mouse and a Country Mouse) warm, cheerful illustrations complement the text with quaint settings reminiscent of Beatrix Potter's idyllic villages. For each story a different border runs along the top of the page: e.g., knickknacks for "Little Owl Redecorates" and lily pads for "Mudpuppy's Picnic." At times, both stories and pictures border on the cute and sentimental but fortunately, not enough to occlude the overall effect. Ages 5-8. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-Rylant introduces delightful animal characters living in a small-town environment. Reminiscent of the work of Beatrix Potter and A. A. Milne, the stories imbue the animals with idiosyncratic behavior: Nigel Chipmunk is a homebody, Little Owl is a fussbudget, Copper the butterfly is flamboyant, Claudius the garter snake is indolent, and Mudpuppy the salamander is a perfectionist. Their behavior is very British; readers will find a great deal of tea drinking and tart eating on these pages. The stories themselves are sweet and contain messages on the meaning of friendship. The advanced vocabulary makes them better suited for sharing or storytimes than for beginning readers. Kneen's lovely, detailed soft-pastel illustrations emphasize the rural setting. Each chapter contains one lovely double-page spread and two half or full-page illustrations as well as delicate borders atop pages of solid text. A tasty treat.
Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (August 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152056459
• ISBN-13: 978-0152056452
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #392,851 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Manners Subtly Taught, January 15, 2001

By	J. Young (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Thimbleberry Stories (Thimbleberry Collection) (Hardcover)

Enjoy this lovely book over leisurely cups of tea and hot cocoa with a youngster. Ms. Rylant paints a vivid picture of a community where the animals are very different from each other, but they accept and appreciate those differences. Although the book is not preachy or pushy, here are some lessons a young reader/listener might pick up: Nigel welcomes a newcomer, though the hummingbird's flashy style makes him dizzy; Nigel patiently helps a worried little perfectionist owl "redecorate" his home -- back to the way it was in the first place; Nigel encourages a garter snake to plant a garden, aware that his lazy friend will not see it through. And finally (this is a lesson most children need to hear) Nigel politely accepts lunch with a salamander, knowing his friend serves only terrible-tasting health food. His graciousness is rewarded in the end. The painted illustrations are as delightful as the stories and characters themselves. This book is remniscent of Jan Karon's good-natured Mitford series for adults.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thimble"boring" Stories, November 22, 2001

By	Terrie (Little Chute, WI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Thimbleberry Stories (Thimbleberry Collection) (Hardcover)

I rated this book with 4 stars because the illustrations are completely engaging, filled with rustic charm, cute little animals, thatched roof cottages, pretty flowers like foxgloves and climbing roses. Maggie Kneen brings the little critters who live along Thimbleberry Lane to life with vivid colors and nostalgic sensitivity. That's certainly worth every point of the four stars! The reason I withheld the fifth star is that Nigel Chipmunk and his friends the owl, the hummingbird, the snake, the butterfly and the mudpuppy while adorable and friendly sorts are way too tame to attract any real interest from children (or adults who love childrens' literature.) They help each other with tasks and have meals together and in general are very neighborly which is certainly a virtue, but unfortunately they are a bit boring. A little mischief would go a long way on Thimbleberry Lane.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nigel isn't very pleasant!, August 12, 2006

By	armchairinterviews.com (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

Thimbleberry Stories is a quartet of short stories highlighting the life of the main character, Nigel Chipmunk, on Thimbleberry Lane. Nigel is a proud little fellow, and as we learn, he is very partial to his own way of thinking.

Nigel is supposed to learn through his encounters with a young artistic hummingbird named Dipper, his good friend Little Owl, Claudius, the garter snake, and Mudpuppy, the salamander, that life is about variety and accepting differences in others.

However, while I understood the author's objective in trying to teach children to accept differences, I found that Nigel was a bit too disposed in judging his friends to ever learn the lesson of compassion.

For instance, when Little Owl stops by to ask for Nigel's help in rearranging his living room, Nigel quickly agrees to go to Little Owl's home and help. On the way, Nigel finds that he didn't bring his hat along to protect him against the summer sun. Being an ingenious fellow, Nigel, grabs a large leaf and wraps it around his head, tying it off with corn silk. Ever conscious of his looks, he frets about someone laughing at his newly made hat. The only other animal he passes on his way to Little Owl's home is a porcupine. Yet he doesn't worry about the porcupine's opinion, because according to Nigel, this porcupine, "Never laughed at anybody because she herself always looked a little silly. (All those garish quills!)

Ouch! For Nigel to think so highly of himself and to make fun of another who was clearly self-conscious was not appropriate. It was these types of comments and opinions that made me dislike Nigel.

I would've enjoyed this book much more had the author shown Nigel growing in the knowledge that he was wrong to judge others. It would've been a better lesson to show children that while we are all quite capable of making the same errors as Nigel, to be a sympathetic person, one must learn from the mistake and take steps not to repeat the error.

Armchair Interviews says: A message to children that one aspect the adult reader may want to comment on.