Mirabelle

By Astrid Lindgren

Unable to have a doll due to her parents' poverty, Mirabelle can only wish for one, but her thoughts are diverted after receiving an unusual yellow seed from an old man. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9129658217
• ISBN13: 9789129658217
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.3" x 0.8" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Wow! I can't believe some of these reviews!

This is a beautiful book! I'm surprised that people are put off by the doll that grows from a seed; I see nothing creepy whatsoever about the doll. The only thing that concerns me... but certainly not enough to keep this book from my children... is the fact that she opens the gate, talks to and accepts a gift from a stranger. I always talk to my girls about how this is just a charming story, but we never talk to or accept gifts from strangers. If you're concerned, check it out from the library first, then buy it. My girls LOVE it.

Sweet little girl gets her heart's desire

This is a suspenseful and engaging story, and the illustrations by Pija Lindenbaum really make the book. Let the kids know that in the time and place where the story is set, it would not have been unusual to leave a child at home; farm children were better disciplined then. Currently, many parents feel they need to watch and entertain their children every moment of the day, so we don't have a society of children who are sensible and self-reliant, as they were previously even from a young age. Also, people currently teach their children that every stranger is a potential menace, but in fairy tales and wisdom literature such as the Bible, kindness to strangers often resulted in unexpected gifts, as in this story. At age 6, Britta knows enough to open the gate across the road for passing carts, and an appreciative old man gives her a seed that fills her heart's desire. My favorite character in the book appears only in the illustrations, not in the text, and that is Britta's chicken, which she carries around with her, dresses up as a doll, and which appears in nearly every scene. The chicken is expressive and a very tolerant companion.

A truly interesting story

This story became an immediate favorite of my daughter. I love to read it, too, because it is so unusual and interesting. It's told in the first person, which I think helps connect the reader to Britta, the little girl telling the story. The first part of the book is somewhat suspenseful as Britta meets an odd little old man who gives her a seed to plant. We see her water it every day and the paintings show a doll slowly start to emerge from the ground. The second part of the story is equally engaging as we see Britta realize (or imagine) that her doll Mirabelle is real. Mirabelle is mischievous, but Britta loves her very much. I highly recommend this book. Even my 2.5 year old niece who never sits through books was fascinated by this story.

Whimsy & fancy make a nice story

This whimsical book with a lovely plain little heroine is quite special. Britta is a lonely girl who lives on a farm a long way from the local town. She longs for a doll but her parents can't afford it - until one day when Britta is home alone, a stranger passes through their country lane and Britta helps him by opening a gate. The man then rewards her by giving her a seed. NOTE: (when I first read this book I was concerned to note that her parents went off to market all day and left her home - and she waited by the road. I do feel this is explained by the fact that this book was first written in the early 40's when it wasn't as dangerous a place as it is in these times) Britta waters the seed and it grows into a girl doll, who can eat and speak and walk. Britta is happy, her parent's are amazed, and Britta has a friend. The whimsical text is brilliant, and the illustrations are very good. We borrowed it from the library for my son, never thinking it would be a favorite with him, but he honed in on it again, so it does have a broad appeal. Kotori '2004