An “evocative and entertaining” biography of the nineteenth century circus performer who became a global phenomenon (Neil Harris, author of Humbug). When P. T. Barnum met twenty-five-inch-tall Charles Stratton at a Bridgeport, Connecticut hotel in 1843, one of the most important partnerships in entertainment history was born. With Barnum’s promotional skills and the miniature Stratton’s comedic talents, they charmed a Who’s Who of the nineteenth century, from Queen Victoria to Charles Dickens to Abraham Lincoln. Adored worldwide as “General Tom Thumb,” Stratton played to sold-out shows for almost forty years. From his days as a precocious child star to his tragic early death, Becoming Tom Thumb tells the full story of this iconic figure for the first time. It details his triumphs on the New York stage, his epic celebrity wedding, and his around-the-world tour, drawing on newly available primary sources and interviews. From the mansions of Paris to the deserts of Australia, Stratton’s unique brand of Yankee comedy not only earned him the accolades of millions of fans, it helped move little people out of the side show and into the limelight.

After many adventures, a tiny boy, no bigger than his father's thumb, earns a place as the smallest Knight of the Round Table.

For anyone who loves the historical novels of Sara Gruen, Geraldine Brooks, and E. L. Doctorow, a barnstorming tale of an irrepressible, brawling, bawdy era and the remarkable woman who had the courage to match the unique spirit of America’s Gilded Age. She was only two feet, eight inches tall, but more than a century later, her legend reaches out to us. As a child, Mercy Lavinia “Vinnie” Warren Bump was encouraged to live a life hidden away from the public. Instead, she reached out to the immortal impresario P. T. Barnum, married the tiny superstar General Tom Thumb in the wedding of the century, and became the world’s most unexpected celebrity. Vinnie’s wedding captivated the nation, preempted coverage of the Civil War, and even ushered her into the White House. But her fame also endangered the person she prized most: her similarly sized sister, Minnie, a gentle soul unable to escape the glare of Vinnie’s spotlight. A barnstorming novel of the Gilded Age, The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb is the irresistible epic of a heroine who conquered the country with a heart as big as her dreams—and whose story will surely win over yours. Look for special features inside. Join the Circle for author chats and more. BONUS: This edition contains a timeline, an interview with Melanie Benjamin, and an excerpt from Melanie Benjamin's Alice I Have Been.

The Metrical History of Tom Thumb the Little - As Issued Early in the Eighteenth Century, in Three Parts is an unchanged, high-quality reprint of the original edition of 1860. Hansebooks is editor of the literature on different topic areas such as research and science, travel and expeditions, cooking and nutrition, medicine, and other genres. As a publisher we focus on the preservation of historical literature. Many works of historical writers and scientists are available today as antiques only. Hansebooks newly publishes these books and contributes to the preservation of literature which has become rare and historical knowledge for the future.

Many beautiful children's picture books were produced in the nineteenth century, often by anonymous authors and artists. Here we've put together a new collection from a variety of sources, lavishly illustrated with black-and-white drawings. The tales included are The History of Tom Thumb, The Old Woman and her Pig, The Story of Jack and the Giants, The Cat and the Mouse and Princess Belle-Etoile.

A tiny boy has adventures in a cow's mouth, a fish's belly, and the stomach of a giant.

An easy format retelling of the classic fairy tale, Tom Thumb and the tiny boy's big adventures. Newly re-illustrated with a fresh and modern look, these Beginning-to-Read books in the 21st Century Edition foster independent reading and comprehension. Using high frequency words and repetition, readers gain confidence while enjoying classic fairy tales and folklore stories. Educator resources include reading reinforcement activities and a word list in the back. Activities focus on foundational, language and reading skills. Sections include phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Teachers' notes available on website.

A retelling in graphic format of the fairy tale about the adventures of a boy who is no taller than a thumb.

In one short week exploring the coast south of Botany Bay, Matthew Flinders, George Bass and their servant-boy William Martin had a series of adventures. Setting out to locate a river Henry Hacking had described, they sailed too fast and too far south; their boat was dumped by the surf on the beach at Towradgi; at Lake Illawarra's entrance they cut hair and trimmed the beards of the friendly Aboriginal people, but ended up fleeing in fear of their lives when a group of men jumped into the boat; a summer storm nearly wrecked their tiny vessel beneath the cliffs of the Royal National Park before they found shelter at Wattamolla Cove ­ and when they finally 'discovered' the Hacking River they were surrounded by sharks!Christine Hill's series of paintings and sketches illustrating the story of Bass and Flinders' journey tells of three young men having the time of their lives in a strange land, and brings to life the famous story of Tom Thumb II for readers of all ages. She is a founding member and Fellow of the Australian Society of Marine Artists, with a special interest in wooden boats, and knows the locations well­--the details are beautifully captured and the images skillfully interwoven with Flinder's own journal entries.Adults and children alike will enjoy this lively new version of the much-loved Australian tale of courage and adventure from the early colonial days of New South Wales.

English Fairy Tales By Joseph Jacobs A word or two as to our title seems necessary. We have called our stories Fairy Tales though few of them speak of fairies. The same remark applies to the collection of the Brothers Grimm and to all the other European collections, which contain exactly the same classes of tales as ours. Yet our stories are what the little ones mean when they clamour for "Fairy Tales," and this is the only name which they give to them. One cannot imagine a child saying, "Tell us a folk-tale, nurse," or "Another nursery tale, please, grandma." As our book is intended for the little ones, we have indicated its contents by the name they use. The words "Fairy Tales" must accordingly be taken to include tales in which occurs something "fairy," something extraordinary--fairies, giants, dwarfs, speaking animals. It must be taken also to cover tales in which what is extraordinary is the stupidity of some of the actors.