Thistle

by Walter Wangerin Jr,, Bryna Waldman

A beautiful parable about the power of love and compassion.

A potato farmer and his wife have four children: tall Pine, strong Oak, beautiful Rose—and meek Thistle, who can do nothing but cry. Thistle's hardworking father has a big appetite, but one day he comes across the potato monster, Pudge, who has an even bigger one. Pudge eats every member of the family except Thistle, who is left alone to weep and mourn her loss. But meek Thistle's tears of love prove to be weapons powerful enough to bring the family back to life.

"Astonishing and totally original." —Maurice Sendak, author and illustrator of Where the Wild Things Are

"What a beautiful tale . . . gets its message over with truth rather than didacticism." —Madeleine L'Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time

"Good parents search for ways to teach their children to be unselfish, to value the uniqueness of themselves and others, and to feel and express compassion. Walt Wangerin's great story, Thistle, will not only bring much enjoyment to both children and parents, but will also give birth to wonderful family conversations about important truths." —Bill and Gloria Gaither, Christian song writers, artists, and authors

"The strength and style of a classic . . . Children will delight in the heroine whose great heart gives her great power." —Joanne Ryder, author of Winter Whale

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

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1983

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.