Little Hobbin - Hardcover

Theodor Storm

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1558584609 ISBN 13: 9781558584600

Publisher: North South Books, 1995

Synopsis

After his mother becomes exhausted wheeling him around the room, Little Hobbin devises a way to keep his crib rolling and, with the help of the moon, rolls out of the house, into the street, to the end of the world, and into the sky

About this title

Reviews

PreSchool-K?This odd cautionary tale written in 1849 has been abbreviated and illustrated. Hobbin, a fearless, demanding little boy, is unable to get his fill of being wheeled around in his crib. He makes a sail out of his nightshirt when his mother falls asleep and rolls up the walls and over the ceiling, up a moonbeam, through the keyhole, up and down the nighttime streets, through the dark forest, "...over the moors to the world's end, and straight on into the sky." When the moon and stars disappear, the sun throws the boy into the sea, where his small bed sinks: "...that's when you and I came to the rescue and picked up little Hobbin in our boat. If we hadn't saved him, he might well have drowned." Zwerger's soft paintings reflect the dreamlike quality of the story. While this fantastic bedtime tale might cause some children to chuckle, it lacks the substance and charm of Nancy Willard's Nightgown of the Sullen Moon (Harcourt, 1983) and the delightful detail of Maurice Sendak's In the Night Kitchen (HarperCollins, 1970), both of which have less text per page and more illustrations.?Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Zwerger's exquisite artwork lights up the pages of this gentle cautionary tale by a 19th-century German writer. Hobbin, a demanding lad, loves to be on the go. Ensconced in a movable crib, he wears out his poor mother with his constant cries of "Wheel me!" One night Hobbins is delighted to discover that he can propel himself by hoisting his nightshirt like a sail, and, in the company of the kind old moon, exits the house and flits through town, forest and sky. But he doesn't know when enough is enough, and so the sun decides for him, bringing the fun to an unexpected end. It's a delightful bit of nonsense, smoothly told and lustrously illustrated with insets and whimsically bordered full-page art. Zwerger's restrained use of color and delicacy of line perfectly mirrors the tale's fantastical elements. This may well be Zwerger's best work to date. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 3^-6. Zwerger's delicate watercolors add a mesmerizing quality to this little known lullaby by Storm, a nineteenth-century German poet. It tells of Little Hobbin who goes on a nocturnal journey in his baby bed. Although it remains to be seen whether this smoothly translated, rather romantic tale will appeal to modern sensibilities, the pictures are sure to please. Zwerger's elegant style is familiar, but she manages to suffuse her softly colored images with freshness and vitality--her personified moon is the perfect blend of grandfatherly compassion and lunar texture. This ranks among her best work. Julie Corsaro

Edition details

• Publisher: North South Books
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1558584609
• ISBN 13: 9781558584600
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Lisbeth Zwerger
• Number of pages: 24