Thumbelina is not normal girl she is about the size of your thumb, but don't let her height mistake you she can do alot of things other people can't do. Like she can fit into small spaces that you can't. So if you like books that are about people doing extremely different things that you don't think that can do then this is the book right for you to read. This book will amaze your eyes with the colorful pictures inside, and with the amazing things Thumbelina can do.

Hans Christian Andersen's story of Thumbeline is so endearing that it's no wonder that so many authors have written their own versions of it and so many illustrators have had a go at making tiny Thumbeline come to life. This version, translated by Anthea Bell and illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger is brimming with charm, rustic folk sensibilities, kindness and compassion spiked with just the right amount of perilous adventure to make it interesting, and a lovely magical feel. The story is well told in satisfyingly descriptive language. The illustrations are superb! Zwerger does a wonderful job with all of the animal characters that Thumbeline encounters and manages to infuse them with emotion and intelligence as well as country charm. Little red-haired Thumbeline is delicate and sweet in several lovely costumes with a peasant feel to them. You know the tale...a woman tells a witch that she wants a "tiny child" and the magic gives her exactly what she wishes for, a tiny child no bigger than her thumb. Thumbeline is born from the heart of a tulip. She's so beautiful and sweet that every small suitor in the neighborhood wants her hand in marriage, including a toad, a mole and a June beetle. They are not interested in the fact that she does not want to marry them! She gets help from other wee folk in the woodland community and makes a good friend when she saves the life of a swallow. The story ends happily for Thumbeline. It may be desirable to point out to your young ones that not every unattached female needs to find a husband, especially very young ones like Thumbeline, and that kidnapping and force are not true ways to get a girl to marry you! Children are smart enough to know that but it's still a good idea to talk over the odd concepts that a child may be thinking about after you read this story. I love this old-fashioned story and this re-telling adds beautifully to its charm and therefore justifies its conception.

The familiar Hans Christian Andersen story of Thumbelina has received the royal treatment from Susan Jeffers. Her large, lovely pictures make this seem like you are stepping into the story for the first time. Thumbelina is so dainty and sweet that it's no wonder the toad wishes to marry her but poor Thumbelina has a harrowing time escaping from her warty suitor. Share a trumpet vine blossom with Thumbelina, a pair of hummingbirds and a fat bumble bee or take a ride with her on the back of a gallant swallow. This whole story is enchanting from start to finish and the pictures are a delight!

I first read this story when i was in elementry school. since then, i have loved it! i highly recomen this book!! it's an easy read, obviously, but it's a good story line. Ehrilch writes very well, and i think this is one of the greatest books of all time!

--Nina Lewis and her mother Joyce have always lived a free life; traveling from town to town whenever they feel like it. But Nina has noticed that this odd way of living is not all fun; lately, Nina has noticed suspicious patterns in their lifestyle. This is most conspicuous when Joyce forces Nina to leave a town she loves; she must be running away from something! What could Joyce be hiding from Nina? --Written so clearly that I could practically see the whole book happening, this book is definitely one of my top three favourite books.

I read this book when it was recommended to me when I was about nine and I loved it then and I have read it every year since even though I am eighteen now, because I think that it is just one of the best written children's books ever. It is beautifully written and Nina's character is so well developed in the story i always feel as if I actually know her. It is very heart-wrenching at the end and every time I read it I can't help but feel sorry for Joyce. i always think that I would have loved that life of travelling across America and learning to fit in dozens of different places, rather than growing up safe and sound in Virginia, which would have been Nina's fate. I just think that everything in the book is just exquistitely portrayed and that Nina is really someone you can identify with and totally empathise with. It is a very honest but very warm book and definetely the best thing I read as a kid.

This is a great book for any parent. It encompasses 19 of the best known fairy tales that have been told to children for generations.

Included in the book are tales such as Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and The Princess and the Pea.

Each story is illustrated nicely giving your children the images they want to accompany the store.

Overall I found this to be a well made book that can be passed down from one generation to the next.

From 35 year old mom of 6: I have read from many different fairy tale books over the years and this one is still my favorite. The reasons it is my favorite fairy tale book are: 1. It contains 19 of my favorite stories 2. Amy Ehrlich who wrote the stories, consulted several different versions, and retold them in their full splendor without dumbing the text down. 3. On every two page spread is a large detailed illustration by Diane Goode emmanating much warmth and charm.

Although the text is not dumbed down, this book still appeals to the 4-8 year old range because of the large picture to text ratio.

In the book The Random House book of Fairy Tales by alot of authors is the best fairy tale book that I have read in the world. The best Fairy tale in the book is The Emperer's new clothes. I picked this story because I thought that it was funny because the tailors played a trick on him and left him naked and the peasents thought it was the new fab. I reccomend this book to all the kids.

In the mid-1800s, Andersen wrote many original fairy tales. He has many common themes however to the stories that had been passed down for generations. This story is of a young girl sent away by her evil stepmother. She then must rescue her eleven brothers from the spell that has been placed upon them. In a dream, a fairy came to her and gave her the answer. So after, a king falls in love with her at first sight. This tale is a bit lengthy and has a few passages of irrelevant information, but because the reader feels an emotional attachment to the girl so quickly, attention never waivers. The watercolor illustrations help to support the text, but at times do not have very much contrast, giving them a murky feel. Second graders would be able to read the text; however it may take until fourth grade for children to be able to do it in one sitting.

Why 4 stars?:
Some passages in the story can get a bit lengthy. Although the text is written on a second grade level, it may take a while before students can read this in one sitting. However, they will definitely listen to it, as the characters are very captivating. The illustrations are a little muddy though.

I have owned this book since I was a yong child and has always been one of my favorites. It has all of the trimmings, a wickid step mother and all!

After searching for the book "Where it Stops, Nobody Knows" by Amy Ehrlich, I was disappionted to find that it was out of print. I became very excited when I saw a new book by her...After getting the book home I read the jacket and realized that it's not a new book, why, it is "Where it Stops, Nobody Knows" I'm a little disappointed that there was nothing in the book that mentioned the previous title. It won the DCF book of the year in 1990 in Vermont. It is a great book and I recommend it to anyone who likes fast-paced books.

Joyride is an awesome book! It's about a girl named Nina Lewis, who has lived with her mom Joyce, in a bunch of different states, including Canada. But Nina, who's 14, wants to settle down now. She's sick of leaving old friends behind, without saying good-bye. Then Nina and Joyce move to Venice, California, where Joyce once lived. Joyce promises that they'll stay in Venice for a long time. Then Nina starts finding clues that lead to Joyce's true identity. They move once again, and that's when Nina finds out the truth, during a emotion-filled climax. Probably not a good choice for light reading, but definitely a good book!

Joyce Lewis seems to have a problem; she can never stay in the same place for over a year something always occurs that makes her and her daughter hustle and bustle to someplace new.Thirteen year old Nina Lewis and her mother Joyce, first embark on their journey in Montpelier, Vermont. They have just moved there, and it is chance for Nina to start a fresh new beginning at school. Just as she begins to setttle in it is time for Joyce to pack her bags and move out of the state once more. It is hard for Nina to understand why Joyce seems to move around so much and why Joyce is so uptight when Nina hangs around with her friends. Nina makes friends and loses friends; it seems to be a neverending cycle. Joyce always seems to be nervous and never stays in one place for long. Nina begins to finally ask the questions that she never got to asking. In the book, Nina learns some secrets that she never knew and never suspected. Excellent book! This was a fast-paced read and I loved every word of it!!

A short and warm story about a young girl, Jane, whose greatest thrill of each day is to race out to see the train as it passes near her home. She loves seeing all of the different cars, waving to the engineer, and playing a guessing game about the color of the caboose. She dreams about the train, where it goes, and who else stands around to watch it pass by.

Felita introduces the reader to a strong and loving Puerto Rican family living in New York. The characters are well-developed and interesting. The plot is interesting enough to engage young readers. The book is recommended for children 4-8, but I feel it is more appropriate for children comfortable with chapter books. I realize that age levels are subjective, but I believe that a 4-8 year old would be better off sharing this book with a caregiver or teacher. The book deals with racism and death of a loved one, and for these reasons I feel that it makes an appropriate shared reading book. It is important to offer children a chance to discuss Felita's experience with racism. Without open discussion,it could lead the reader to believe that all Irish and Germans are racist. In this story Felita's beloved grandmother dies, but the death is dealt with in three pages at the end of the story. I don't think given the care taken to describe the relationship between Felita and her grandmother, this ending does the characters or subject justice.

Felita is a story of a Puerto Rican family struggling to give their children a brighter future in the face of racism and prejudice. I think these are important issues that need to be addressed with children, in the classroom or in the home. I found it especially poignant that the children immediately accepted Felita as a friend, but it was the adults that rejected differences and cultivated the prejudice in their children. I am confused about the previous review stating that this book is appropriate for chidren ages 4-8. The back of the book states that it is for children 7-11 years of age and the top of this page states that it is appropriate for ages 9-12. Children of these ages should become familiar with short chapter books such as this one. Overall, I found this to be a good addition to a culturally diverse selection of childrens books-- one perspective to add to the many that make up life in the United States.

Allow your children to read these stories with parental discretion. Current day authors like the ones mentioned in the review are liberals with an agenda that is both immoral and anti-traditional family. I can't vouch for all the stories listed because I have not read them. However, I have read works by quite of few of the authors listed and they do not support conservative ideology. "Scout's Honor" by Avi is in my child's 6th grade "literature" textbook. The so-called comedy is about three arrogant Boy Scouts that earn a badge by lying, cheating and stealing. This story not only depicts the Boy Scouts in a bad light - has anyone heard about their pro-traditional family stand which they took recently - but it promotes the path of the ends justifying the means.

The original tales presented in this book are actual memories of childhood penned by notable children's book authors. Although most of the stories have 8-10 year-olds as their protagnonists, they deal with emotions and predicaments more easily understood, I think, by slightly older children.

Pre-teenage can be such an awkward time; these tales can be healing/instructive to those in this time of life. The authors all have written beautiful stories which really should not be missed. And, as an extra special "gift" to the reader, each story is followed by a one-page explanation/note written by the tale's author. It's a relief to realize that each author not only survived growing up, but also flourished. And I loved being allowed to share private memories of these marvelous authors.

As a great fan of Katherine Paterson, I was especially touched by her story, which involved her older, prettier sister. Perhaps even more revealing, however, is the note she wrote to accompany this story. I am sure that the feelings here expressed were the souce of her poignantly beautiful novel "Jacob Have I Loved." (Great for girls age 12 and up.)

This book also provided an introduction (at least for me) to several authors with whom I was not familiar; I look forward to reading more by them.

I am a 40-something, well-educated mom. I bought this book for my own family, but I will be purchasing more copies to give as gifts. And I look forward to the sequel to this book, already in print!

I found this book sort of funny. The farm animals decide to move in with the family. After a while the family moves into the barn. The book has good color and drawings. Its a interesting book to read. So read it!

Mark C