Brave Thumbelina is a retelling/variation of the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, with gorgeous illustrations from An Leysen. It has been a while since I read the original story, so I can't testify to its differences, although I do believe it is supposed to have a happier ending. A woman desperately wants a child, so she is given a flower seed which grows into a tiny daughter she names Thumbelina. One day, Thumbelina is kidnapped by a toad. She runs away, ends up marrying a prince in a forest, and gets wings to visit home. I like the moral of the story that you can be brave and make your own decisions about your life, and obviously this tale is a classic, so what really sets this story apart are the whimsical, beautiful An Leysen art.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

While the cover and art were very unique and eye catching, the story didn't come together for me. Some pages had way too much text. That makes it hard to engage a younger audience. The font was a bit too small which makes it hard as a read aloud.

***Actual Star Rating: 3.5***

I am a fairy tale version fan and so I enjoy finding different variations. Sometimes they are hits and sometimes they seem to end up missing their mark.

This one was a so-so for me when it came to the actual total effect. Thumbelina has always been iffy with its actual story but this one came off more offensive just maybe since Thumb was shown as being more girl-like than in others where she is a bit more mature. As a result it made me quite even more uncomfortable with all the guys wanting to marry her against her will or the mouse forcing her to make a good match.

And although history had more younger brides it didn't translate well with this version. Even when it came to the end where the original seemed to have more of a decision in her fate, this particular "prince" was basically bribing her by her wings so it felt like she finally gave in to marrying instead of agreeing just since he was the better choice out of all she had been offered so far.

What really gets the higher stars for this version is the beautiful illustrations. They were brightly colored in most areas, had a lot of details and were well executed. The little fish were definitely a big winner for me. And the artist does a great job in expressions on poor Thumb's face.

All in all I would purchase this book for my own library due to the artwork but this will be one of those questionable works to many others. Although the ending is a lot sweeter there just isn't much else besides those two points to save it from being a bit disturbing read.

***I received access to a copy of this book in exchange for a free review.***

This was a darling book for young readers. The illustrations were delightful. My daughters adored this book and we highly recommend it.

This book is billed as a retelling of the story of Thumbelina. It doesn't seem to be so much of a retelling, but the same story with the language updated, new and beautiful illustrations with a bit of a happier ending. These illustrations are done in such a way as to add magic to the story. They are not a bright, vibrant illustration, but a muted pastel drawing that fit the story perfectly. For those of you not familiar with the story of Thumbelina, it is about a woman who prayed and hoped to have a daughter. She receives a flower seed from a good witch and when she plants it and it grows, there is a tiny girl within the petals. She loves and takes care of her, naming her Thumbelina. Thumbelina is kidnapped by an ugly toad and the rest of the story is about her adventures with many creatures wanting to marry her and keep her. She does have her happily ever after though. I am not really sure what the message is in this fairytale, as most do have a lesson.

This book is aimed at readers aged 5 and older, and the language and writing style seem appropriate for that age range. The story itself is well-written, though it is essentially the Thumbelina story that most people know. Regardless of that, I did enjoy this fairytale and the illustrations that accompanied it. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

2.5
It wasn't for me. The art is beautiful but I had some problems with other things.
1. It was really hard to read the book with such a small font and in some pages there was a lot of text. I can't even imagine how hard would be to children read the book when they prefer big fonts. Also, it would have been nice to see more pictures.
2. Every male character(or someone close) in the book wants to marry Thumbelina and she is a child(or look like one)
3. Thumbelina suddenly falls in love with a man that has met two seconds agooo!! INSTA LOVE DETECTED.
4. There isn't a clear message. I don't even know why Thumbelina is brave if she is constantly rescued. I MEAN.

Overall an okay book.

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.

First, the artwork in this one is simply beautiful, and of course whenever you do a retelling of Andersen there's a lesson to be learned and perhaps some sadness. However, this one is simply beautiful and perhaps as an adult its even more endearing, I didn't think it was even possible. I truly enjoyed this one and I know several of our little ones who will enjoy this as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Clavis for the review copy. I was drawn to this book for two reasons - I love Hans Christian Andersen and the beautiful cover. This is a lovely retelling of the Andersen classic fairy tale Thumbelina. Though the story is familiar, the beautiful illustrations make this a great picture book.

I've always found Thumbelina's story a bit random. There's no logical flow between events. And this version doesn't stray too far from the source material. The vocabulary is more simplified. And Leysen takes pains to give Thumbelina agency. She makes choices, responds to the negative events. The real appeal here is in the illustrations, muted tones and fine lines.

A lovely retelling of the classic Thumbelina. I do love the story, but the illustrations in this book make it amazing. This story is a bit long but would make a great gift for any little girl.

This was a beautifully illustrated children's book of one of my favourite fairy tales that i enjoyed as a child, and one i'm sure that many other young children will enjoy.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy.

Wonderful retelling of a classic tale. Beautiful illustrations. Good book to read with kids. They will enjoy the story and illustrations.

This is an adorable picture book that tells the story of Thumbelina. The illustrations accompanying each story are beautiful and colorful.
Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for my advance copy.

This is such a beautiful book.
The story is very detailed, the illustrations are gorgeous, and the language is very appropriate for children. I enjoyed reading this book very much.
This book was provided to me through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was okay but not that great, I was expecting a retelling of the classic Thumbelina but this one was just kind of strange, I'm not sure how to describe it unfortunately.

A retelling of Andersen's Thumbelina. Illustrations are good.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC

This was a really sweet book that retells the classic story of thumbelina. It's been too long I forgot the details of the story so it was nice to get acquainted with it again.

My only issue was that I read it with my five year-old and it didn't keep her interested which I think was due in part to not a lot of pictures which at this age is still needed for storytelling.

Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for this ARC!

This book has the most beautiful illustrations, so beautiful in fact, that you could frame them and hang them on your wall.

The story itself is a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's classic fairytale, Thumbelina, which was first published in 1835. A lonely woman desperately longs for a child and one day a good witch just happens to pass by her house and gives her a mysterious flower seed. Finding this rather odd the woman goes ahead and plants the seed anyway. She tenderly nurtures it to its fruition.

Low and behold when she looks closely at the flower that her plant produces she can hardly believe her eyes. She witnesses two little eyes peeking through the petals. Whatever can be happening? She discovers a tiny little girl no bigger than her thumb tucked inside the bloom. Overjoyed she gives gently and lovingly extracts her and gives her the name Thumbelina.

One night while sleeping in a little box beside the woman's bed Thumbelina is kidnapped by an ugly toad who thinks the little girl would be a perfect match for her son. Thumbelina is mortified. She is then passed on to different abhorrent animals that too covet her to be their wife. Poor wee thing, what is she to do?

Thankfully Thumbelina is rescued time and time again by a variety of kind-hearted, compassionate animals that realize her plight and are willing to save her and transport her to safety. Will Thumbelina ever find true happiness and a forever safe place to abide? This charming magical fairytale with its magnificent illustrations will have kids once again mesmerized by the retelling of this classic tale originally told by a master storyteller long, long ago.

Truly about the "Brave" Thumbelina, who never gave up. This modern take on the classic story is really good. It will encourage kids to face difficulties and win in life. Must read!