Tom Thumb

March 15, 2011
Grades 3-5 In this adaptation of a classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Tom Thumb, a wee lad no bigger than a thumb, lives happily with his parents until a too-close encounter with the fireplace sends him far away. In his quest to return home, Tom helps a couple of fishermen, gets swallowed by a fish, finds himself in the royal kitchen, meets the king, and decides to help the kings knights catch a highwayman who has been terrorizing the countryside. Using his very small stature as a plus, Tom always finds a way to win. Young readers will enjoy seeing Tom use spoons, acorns, eggshells, and other items to do things that look an awful lot like skateboarding and other raucous activities. Part of the reliable Graphic Spin series, this volume, illustrated by British underground comics artist Evergreen, features bright colors and fun, cartoony art. Sonneborn uses contemporary dialogue to make the story even more appealing to younger readers. A handful of discussion questions and writing prompts make this a good classroom choice as well.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)