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The Gammage Cup :: 015202493X
Description
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Carol Kendall's witty, epic tales about the race of people called the Minnipins are now available as Odyssey/Harcourt Young Classics. Now a new generation of readers can thrill to the adventures of the tiny folk who become mighty heroes. The original interior illustrations by Erik Blegvad and Imero Gobbato have been retained, but vibrant new cover art by beloved illustrators Tim and Greg Hildebrandt gives the books a new look for a new audience.
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Reviews
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Author: Guest
We read this book as part of the creative writing class that I teach, and I was quite surprised at how this book played out with my young students (aged 8-12). I wanted to introduce them to a fantasy novel that many of them had never heard of and was amused to show them that Rowling hadn't actually invented the word "Muggles" (it's the name of the main character in "The Gammage Cup"). What I did find surprising is that many of my students found this book a difficult read and were confused about many different aspects of the story. As an adult, I quite enjoyed the humor in this book. In particular, I loved the mistaken identification of what is a "painting" versus what is a "family tree; but case in point--for many of my students just didn't get this joke and I find once a young reader loses interest in a book, they just give up on it. I think part of the problem is that the characters in this book do not paint strong visuals in the minds of modern readers. I find many of my students live in a highly-visualized world; perhaps this is a case of their imaginations not being so active or strong as the children in author Carol Kendall's day (or for that matter, mine), but nonetheless, perhaps this book would benefit from stronger illustrations that helped represent the otherwise well-conceived characters. I expected this to be a hit with my kids--I was wrong, but I still like this book and recommend it for those readers with strong vocabularies and big appetites for fantasy novels.
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Author: Guest
Merriam-Webester defines nonconformist this way: "1. a person who does not conform to an established church; especially: one who does not conform to the Church of England and 2 : a person who does not conform to a generally accepted pattern of thought or action.
When Carol Kendall wrote this book in the late 1950's, it was partly a response the scourge of McCarthyism. Now, in an America dominated by right wing zealots, with McCarthy's political apologists and heirs in firm control of every aspect of our government, this lovely, imaginative fantasy is more pertinent than ever. In the Land Between the Mountains, home of the peaceful, practical Minnipins, five outcasts, Muggles (more on this name in a moment), Walter the Earl, Curley Green, Mingy and Gummy, defy the rule of the reactionary Periods who run the little village of Slipper-on-the-Water and end up saving the village and the entire Land Between the Mountains from an ancient, deadly enemy. Gently satirical, but occassionaly stinging, the novel makes a sweetly reasoned plea for acceptance of the dreamers, the artists, and the misfits of society, as they often contain the very qualities they are accused of lacking: courage, praticality and grit. It is also a statement about the need for imagination and creativity as indipensible qualities for any civilization.
Kendall had a gift of naming to nearly rival Tolkien and her sister fantasist Mary Norton. Some of her inventions, like the names Muggles and Minnipins, have mysteriously appeared unaltered or slightly modified in the works of lesser writers like J. K. Rowling and Roald Dahl. Coincidence? You decide. No matter, "The Gammage Cup" endures. A golden fantasy from a golden age of children's books.
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Author: Guest
The Gammage CupI like the Gammage Cup. It's about a group of people sent away from their village for being different. I like the Ending but the start was not that great but it was still interesting. The characters were pretty interesting. They have strange names and habits. In the book there is one cool war scene. But the book is not all about war; there is only one scene of war and the other scenes have cool things in it you have to read it to find out. I GIVE THIS BOOK 4 OUT OF 5 STARS. This Book is great and I hope you like it.
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Author: Guest
I remember reading this book in elementary school. I read it so many times that it lingered in the back of my mind all through high school and into adulthood.
When my girls were what I thought old enough for me to read the book to them, I went out and found the book and bought it.
As I was surfing through the vast array of books, here it was again, the Muggles, with all their differences, colored front doors and curiousity for things not on the straight and narrow, words that didn't follow the rules set out by the high ranking Periods. The book always pulled at me, causing me to see that each of us are different and we need to celebrate these differences, because after all, that is what makes our world so unique.
Purchase the book, check it out from your local library, if they don't carry the book, make them purchase it. Read it yourself and float back to those lazy adolesence days, read it to your children and bask in their joy of a new adventure and remember when you too were in awe of the simple joy of a well written story.
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Author: Guest
This is a superb example of fine fantasy, and one of those "children's" books which adults will thoroughly enjoy. The story of the "misfits" who save their village is well-written, with many very clever and charming observations and turns of phrase (e.g., "When you say what you think, be sure to think what you say."). The characters are very appealing, and the story is quite moving. Read it--you'll love it!
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