Items related to Tom Thumb
Synopsis
When Charles S. Stratton was born in 1838, he was a large baby, perfect in every way. But then he stopped growing. At age four, though a happy and mischievous child, he was just over two feet tall and weighed only fifteen pounds—the exact same size he had been as a seven-month-old baby. It was then that the notorious showman P.T. Barnum dubbed him Tom Thumb and put him on display, touring him around the world as a curiosity.
A natural performer, Charley became enormously popular and wealthy, more so than any other performer before him. In this spirited biography—the first on its subject—George Sullivan recounts the fascinating adventures of Tom Thumb, and raises challenging questions about what constitutes exploitation—both in the 19th century and today.
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About the Author
George Sullivan is a best-selling nonfiction author with more than 100 books to his credit, including highly accoladed Berenice Abbott, Photographer. He lives in New York City.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4-- Although it is not stated, this is a loose adaptation of an English variant of the tale. All of the beginning plot elements--Merlin's granting the farmer's wife's wish for a "babe" even if it's no bigger than her husband's thumb, Tom Thumb being baked into a cake, carried off by a raven, swallowed by a giant, spit into the sea, and swallowed by a fish, which is cut open by the king's cook, who brings Tom to King Arthur--are also related in L. Leonard Brooke's version of "Tom Thumb" found in The Golden Goose Book (Warne, 1977; o.p.). However, Watson's heroic ending, in which Tom Thumb replaces the giant's beloved broken shell, is not mentioned in other variants available. The writing borders on the flowery, but is quite readable. The realistic, microscopically detailed tempera and watercolor illustrations are particularily suitable for this tale. The tiny Tom Thumb would see every hair on a cow's head, and the mobile made of an acorn, a jay's feather, twigs, and leaves hanging over a tiny wooden cradle is an enchanting reminder of just how small Tom really is. The illustrations' perspectives are generally successful and interesting. The subject and these illustrations will ensure this book's popularity with young readers and their parents. Felix Hoffman's Tom Thumb (Atheneum, 1973; o.p.) is based on the Brothers Grimm version. --Karen K. Radtke, Milwaukee Public Library
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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- PublisherVoyager Books
- Publication date1993
- ISBN 10 0613954092
- ISBN 13 9780613954099
- BindingHardcover
- IllustratorWatson Richard Jesse
- Rating
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