Thistle

by Walter Wangerin Jr., Marcia Sewall (Illustrator)

Plain Thistle can only cry as one by one her family is eaten by the potato monster Pudge, but her gentle bargain with a witch saves them all.

Genres: Picture Books, Fiction, Childrens, Fantasy, Family

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Walter Wangerin Jr. is widely recognized as one of the most gifted writers writing today on the issues of faith and spirituality. Starting with the renowned Book of the Dun Cow, Wangerin's writing career has encompassed most every genre: fiction, essay, short story, children's story, meditation, and biblical exposition. His writing voice is immediately recognizable, and his fans number in the millions. The author of over forty books, Wangerin has won the National Book Award, New York Times Best Children's Book of the Year Award, and several Gold Medallions, including best-fiction awards for both The Book of God and Paul: A Novel. He lives in Valparaiso, Indiana, where he is Senior Research Professor at Valparaiso University.

Reviews

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story of a farmer that had many children (flowers and plants from the garden) and one day ,they are eaten by a giant potato. Thistle who can do nothing but cry is their savior. The pictures are cute and fun. The story is clever with the moral that everyone in the family is special, even if you can't see their worth at first.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kinda dark. But also really sweet.
Kind of a weird contrast there but I liked it.
It reminded me of a Grimms fairy tale.
Best part was buying this used online and somehow getting a signed copy by Walter Wangerin, himself!

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I expected, based on an initial glance at the illustrations. 3.5 stars.

[Dan Mingo · Rating 4 out of 5]

We got this book after watching and interview with Walter Wangerin. A very odd short kids story, but a good lesson packed in.

[Taylor E · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful tale. Wangerin champions excellent fairy tale elements. But he's also an obvious storyteller and lover of children (of all ages).

You have a couple in need of children. You have a youngest child motif (though it's usually a third child, not the fourth), and you have a dragon-sized potato gobbling up everyone. Wisdom is spurned. But sacrifice and not strength will win the day. If it weren't so, it wouldn't be a proper fairy story, now would it?

[Saffron Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This rating is for the edition illustrated by Bryna Waldman. The 1995 text has been improved upon since the 1983 first edition.

[Saffron Moon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This rating is for the 1983 edition illustrated by Marcia Sewall.

[Kirsten Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wangerin carries a constant theme of dealing with meekness--what it looks likes, what it feels like, how we so often treat in, how we often miss it, and finally how it somehow reveals a strength clearly much bigger than itself. Thistle is not his most elaborate work on that subject, but in its simplicity it is a fairy tale about the meek inheriting the earth and restoring its dignity, strength, and beauty.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is based on an overly-familiar folk structure, yet very well executed. A good book for kids 2nd grade and younger. Wangerin's Elizabeth and the Water-Troll is much more memorable and, vocabulary-wise, more demanding.

[Mary Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good to read but pretty good funny. It is very good for children who can read book.