Brave Thumbelina by An Leysen is a retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen, and this particular version was first published in Holland and recently translated to English. Once upon a time, there was a woman who desperately wanted a child. One day, a good witch passed her house and gave her a flower seed. The woman planted the seed and took good care of it. Before long, two little eyes curiously stared at her between the petals. Inside the flower was a tiny girl! The woman named her Thumbelina. It soon became clear that Thumbelina was a very brave little girl.
Brave Thumbelina is a lovely picturebook, and a nice retelling of the classic story. I found the artwork to be beautiful, not my favorite style but I know so many that love this pastel and delicate type of work. The retelling and translation is true to the original, but the time with the frog and mole are not as dark as some of the versions I have read. I am, as always, annoyed with the fact that it takes marriage to reach a happy ending. Finding the 'perfect boy' does not always equal happiness. Her freedom to choose her path and make her own choices are much more important to me, and hopefully most readers, than finding a husband. As much as it bothers me, I know it is fairly consistent with the traditional tale, but the joys of tackling a retelling is the opportunity to make small (or not so small) changes. I just think that a chance was squandered here.
Brave Thumbelina is a light and sweet retelling of a classic story. The darker moments get less attention than in other versions, so this might be a good choice for sharing with more sensitive young readers.
