Mother Earth and Her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale by Sibylle Von Olfers, Sieglinde Schoen-Smith (Illustrator), Jack Zipes (Translator)

From the Publisher

The incredibly intricate and vivid illustrations in this book are details of a modern quilt inspired by Sibylle von Olfers' classic storybook Mother Earth and Her Children. This vibrant new translation, in turn inspired by the quilt, explores the changing of the seasons and delicately touches upon the circle of life. When Mother Earth calls her children to prepare for spring, the earthly children yawn and stretch before they busy themselves with beautification. They dust off the bumblebees, scrub the beetles, paint bright new coats on the ladybugs, and rouse the caterpillars from their cocoons. Bedecked with new blossoms, the children emerge from the earth and become spring flowers that frolic through the summer and autumn, until the leaves begin to fall and they return to Mother Earth, bringing the weary bugs and beetles back to their winter refuge.

Children's Literature

Sieglinde Schoen Smith, an award-winning quilter, designed and created a quilt based on one of her favorite childhood poems. Photographs of specific scenes from the quilt provide the illustrations for this large size book. Young children living underground are shown awakening as spring approaches. Many children cut and sew colorful clothing which they present to kind Mother Earth for her approval. Some are busy with such chores as painting the backs of lady bugs and other beetles. A group of children and an assortment of insects emerge above ground with fresh blossoms for flowers and trees. When autumn comes, the tots rush home to good Mother Earth. They nestle in roots to sleep until the next year comes. A picture of the quilt as a whole appears near the end of the book and inside the book jacket. Notes about the author, the illustrator and the translator offer insights about the inspiration and development of the book. This book will more likely appeal to adults than to children. The translated text is choppy, lacking the poetic flow which could engage the reader. A child might become involved in searching for details in the illustrations in a one-on-one sharing of the book with an adult. Reviewer: Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1- This rhyming story has been translated from von Olfers's Etwas von den Wurzelkindern , originally published in Germany in 1906. As spring draws near, Mother Earth awakens her children to help welcome the impending season with "chores" such as sewing bright clothing and painting beetles in glowing hues. When the weather warms, the miniature children emerge from their underground home to celebrate ("Beside the brook/Those earthly tots/Skip among/Forget-me-nots"). When fall arrives, they return to Mother Earth to begin their winter slumber and wait for next year. The text is illustrated with panels of a handmade quilt, which is presented in its entirety at the back of the book, along with notes about the author and illustrator. The colors and workmanship of the quilt are exquisite. It has been photographed to show the minute details of each section, and individual stitches can be seen with great clarity. The graceful characters have delicately embroidered features and the natural setting is depicted with vitality and warmth. The whimsical tone of the artwork matches the simple story quite well. With one-of-a-kind illustrations, this is an eye-catching choice for one-on-one sharing or reading aloud to small groups.-G. Alyssa Parkinson, Highland Township Library, MI

Product Details

• ISBN: 1933308184
  
• ISBN-13: 9781933308180
• Format: Hardcover, 32pp
• Publisher: Breckling Press
• Pub. Date: October 2007
• Edition Description: Translatio
• Sales Rank: 12,716
• Age Range: 4 to 8