Finding where you belong is one of life's greatest journeys. Many people spend years feeling out of place — too different, too small, too unusual for the world around them. This story is about a girl who does not fit into any of the worlds she encounters, until she finally discovers one that was made for her.
Hans Christian Andersen published Thumbelina in 1835. Like many of Andersen's stories, it draws on his own feelings of being an outsider. Born into poverty, tall and awkward, Andersen never quite felt he belonged anywhere — until he found the world of storytelling.
Thumbelina's journey is also a story about autonomy and choice. Throughout the tale, others try to decide Thumbelina's future for her — the toad wants her as a wife for her son, the beetle judges her by her appearance, the mouse tries to marry her off to the mole. But Thumbelina, despite her tiny size, has her own desires and her own voice. She refuses to accept a life that does not feel right, and her patience is eventually rewarded.