Friday, February 20, 2015

Thumbelina, by Hans Christian Anderson

Anderson, Hans Christian. Thumbelina. Connecticut: Rabbit Ears Productions, 1989. Print.

Additional Information:
  • Non-English author
  • Fairy tale
Synopsis: Thumbelina is a classic fairy tale originally written by Hans Christian Anderson in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1835.  It follows the journey of Thumbelina, a young girl no more than two inches tall, as she escapes the clutches of toads, June bugs, and other forest creatures who desperately wanted her.  Constantly searching for happiness, Thumbelina stays with a field mouse, befriends a swallow, and forcibly becomes engaged to a mole.  Finally her truest friend, the swallow, comes back for her and whisks her away to be among flower angels.  There she finds contentment and marries the king of the flower angels.  The swallow flies away for the spring and retells Thumbelina's interesting story to a cobbler many miles away who continues to retell the story through the following generations.

Book Notes: This book includes beautiful illustrations that help younger readers visualize the story.  It is a classic fairy tale and can be used to teach about fairy and folk tales, especially those that are passed down orally through generations.  This story lends itself well to read aloud activities because it is written as a story that would be told verbally. 

Critique: Thumbelina is an interesting read especially when studying folk tales.  It is a classic, so can also be integrated in a lesson about Hans Christian Anderson.  The story line takes off with a string of strange events, so it may be necessary to address background knowledge concerning fairy tales before reading this to children.  Overall, it is a fun read that conveys the tone and elements of a classic fairy tale.

Classroom Activities: As previously stated, this story is a great resource for teaching about folk tales and Hans Christian Anderson.  It can also be easily implemented through crafts and various activities for younger children.  There is also a movie representation of Thumbelina, so this can be shown in class so students can compare and contrast the two.  Below are links to classroom ideas.


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