Book Description

Beloved by generations, Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little are two of the most cherished stories of all time. Now, for the first time ever, these treasured classics are available in lavish new collectors' editions. In addition to a larger trim size, the original black-and-white art by Garth Williams has been lovingly colorized by renowned illustrator Rosemary Wells, adding another dimension to these two perfect books for young and old alike.

Whether you are returning once again to visit with Wilbur, Charlotte, and Stuart, or giving the gift of these treasured stories to a child, these spruced-up editions are sure to delight fans new and old. The interior design has been slightly moderated to give the books a fresh look without changing the original, familiar, and beloved format. Garth Williams's original black-and-white line drawings for the jacket of Stuart Little have also been newly colorized by the celebrated illustrator Rosemary Wells. These classics return with a new look, but with the same heartwarming tales that have captured readers for generations.

Reviews (306)

among the best in children's literature
As we all know, there are those certain books in the world that literally every single child in the world should read, and "Charlotte's Web" is a perfect example of must-read literature. It's such a classic story, not to mention a beautiful one. E.B. White creates such memorable characters and describes them very well. When a little girl named Fern hears that some baby pigs have been born in the barn, she is terrified to hear that her father plans to kill the littlest one, the useless "runt." Fern talks her father into letting her adopt the pig. She names it Wilbur and treats it as her own. Then the time comes for the pig to be more on its own, so Fern is forced to sell him to her uncle, who owns a farm. Wilbur feels lonely and out of place until he meets Charlotte, a kind spider who befriends him and, eventually, saves his life. Beautiful, beautiful story of friendship and courage. It contains characters and a fun plot that any child can enjoy. I read this book for the first time when I was in fourth grade, and I recently helped a little second-grader that I baby-sit for with her "Charlotte's Web" comprehension questions. It brought memories back. This is one of those books that you remember for the rest of your life once you've read it. It's excellent, and well worth the money.

'O best beloved'
This is a book which should have ten stars, not just five.

Faced with the impending slaughter of Wilbur, the runt piglet she has saved and nursed to health, Fern is appalled that she has fattened him for the axe, and commits herself passionately to save her beloved animal. So, too, is Charlotte, the spider who inhabits the barn with him, and woh turns her web into a sort of billboard/oracle which astonishes (and admonishes) the community by weaving words that inform them that this is no ordinary pig! She recruits Templeton the Rat and the rest of the animals in her battle for Wilbur's life...will they succeed? or will Wilbur be a nine-days' wonder? and what will be the ultimate cost?

This is the best present I can imagine to inspire a young reader; it's a wonderful tale of courage against the odds; it's warm, sad, and delightfully funny, and 30 years after I read it in fourth grade, I still get a lump in my throat thinking about it. A special, special book. (With wonderful original illustrations!)

A Great Book about Friendship
I must confess that having just read "Animal Farm" shortly before reading this book, I was a little hesitant about excepting this as a pure children's story without any hidden political agenda. I kept expecting the talking animals to rise up behind the pig and take over the farm. Rest assured however there was none of that, as E.B. White does a good job of keeping the story at a purely kids level.

Wilber is the runt in a litter of pigs, and Mr. Arable the farmer is going to take him out back and have him slaughtered since as he says, "He is small and weak and will never amount to anything." His young daughter Fern who is eight, hears this and requests that her father give the pig to her to raise instead. The father wishing to prove a point to her, allows this so long as she promises to do all the work to take care of it. To Mr. Arable's surprise Fern does an excellent job of raising Wilber and he turns out to be "Some Pig", proving that even though he was very small he still could amount to something.

As Wilber grows bigger the Arable's can no longer support feeding him, so Mr. Arable has Fern sell Wilber to her uncle Mr. Zuckerman who has a farm down the road. There she goes and visits Wilber every day. Being young I guess gives you the ability to sit and listen to the animals more intently than adults, and by doing so Fern is able to hear that the animals can actually talk and she understands them. (Being the father of two girls who are 7 and 5, I'd have to disagree somewhat with this logic as my girls never sit still, and certainly have a hard time listening at times, but for the sake of the story we'll just give them the benefit of the doubt.)

Anywise Wilber meets all the other animals in the barn who are very nice, but none of them are really his close friend. He becomes lonely and wishes for a friend. A gray spider named Charlotte answers his prayers and after introducing herself, she becomes Wilber's best friend.

When the other animals tell Wilber that Mr. Zuckerman is just fatting him up to eat him for Christmas, this makes him greatly disturbed. Charlotte being a great friend promises to do all she can to make Wilber so important to Mr. Zuckerman that he would change his mind. She sets a plan in action to weave messages into her web proclaiming how great the pig is, and by doing so she hopes to trick the adults into believing it as well. With the help of Templeton the rat she obtains some newspaper clippings and begins her work.

Each new message in the web is looked upon as miracle, but rather than looking for any religious connection, the folks in the town just believe they have a very famous pig on their hands and accept it at face value.

The suspense builds as Zuckerman takes Wilber to the Fair. If he can just win an award there, Charlotte knows his life will be saved. Charlotte and Templeton have to stow away in Wilber's crate just to accompany him to the Fair, and then when they get there the pig in the stall next to Wilber is twice as big and looks to be a shoe in for first prize.

This book was obviously written at a much simpler time in history. At the Fair grounds the adults send the kids off on their own. Besides Fern who is 8, she has a little brother Avery who is only 5. After giving them all kinds of warnings such as not to eat too much, and to stay out of the sun, to not get dirty, and to be careful on the rides, the mother stops and says to the husband, "Do you think they'll be all right?" and he responds, "Well they have to grow up sometime." (None of the warnings were about staying away from strangers.) Of course when the kids returned they hadn't stayed out of the sun and were hot, and completely dirty, but they had fun.

Fern meets a boy at the Fair, and starts to grow up a bit as playing with him starts to seem like more fun than talking to bunch of animals.

It is a great book about overcoming obstacles even though you are very small, growing up, and most of all friendship. My girls loved the book as well, and especially seemed to like the illustrations by Garth Williams.

Quality literature for children
A spider saves the life of a friendly pig by spinning accolades about him in her web, thereby producing a miracle that impresses people for miles around. This is a beautifully written little story for children that has real literary quality. The prose is excellent. Note in particular the simple but lovely descriptions of the passing seasons that Mr. White writes. The themes include friendship, coping with the loss of loved ones, and the realization that life goes on, changed but still worth living.

Best book ever
I think this is a really good book.It was about a pig and a spider who were vary good friends. My favorite part of the story was when they went to the Fair. The book was great. ... Read more

Book Description

A paperback edition of E.B. White's classic novel about one small mouse on a very big adventure! With black and white illustrations.

Stuart Little is no ordinary mouse. Born to a family of humans, he lives in New York City with his parents, his older brother George, and Snowbell the cat. Though he's shy and thoughtful, he's also a true lover of adventure.

Stuart's greatest adventure comes when his best friend, a beautiful little bird named Margalo, disappears from her nest. Determined to track her down, Stuart ventures away from home for the very first time in his life. He finds adventure aplenty. But will he find his friend?

Reviews (88)

Stuart Little
Stuart Little by E.B. White is a classic story.I never knew what was going to happen to this courageous little mouse.In the book it is like you are reading through the eyes of a mouse as you go through some of his adventures.
This book follows the life of a city family called the Littles.They adopt a son and name him Stuart, but the catch is Stuart is a mouse! So why would you want to read a story about a mouse?You would want to read this book because it is packed with adventure! You never know what is going to happen next! The story goes from Stuart befriending a bird named Margolo, to sailing a sailboat,to trying to drive his own car!Oh, and did I mention the CATS? It was interesting to imagine in my mind what the world looked like through a mouse's eyes.
Any person who likes adventure and little animals will love this book. It also doesn't take very long to read. I read it in two days because I liked it so much! I can't wait to read more of E.B. White's books and stories.

Stuart Little: still as much fun as ever
I re-read this story a few months ago after about an 11 year gap. What a delightful experience! It`s a great book for kids, but reading it as an adult is fun, too, and you understand a lot more of the author`s tongue-in-cheek wit and his lyrical descriptions. Child readers will be entranced by Stuart`s clever adaptions to a world that is always bigger than he is: details like his matchbox bed, paper clip skates, and toy sailboat that he commandeers quite well are very original. I do recall thinking as a kid that it was weird that he was born looking so much like a mouse and everyone just takes it for granted, but you tend to forget about that as you get absorbed in the adventures. Stuart is also born with an enormous capacity for wit and a novel take on life- witness his verbal sparring with Snowbell the cat and his hilarious turn as a substitute teacher. Others have noted that the primary reason he appeals so much to kids is because they, too, have to cope each day with a huge, often bewildering adult world. I agree with this, while also offering the idea that another reason he`s easy to like is because he is a true individual who likes to do things in his own special manner. He does`nt mind if big people and animals find his custom-built car or tiny clothing and suitcase strange! By the end of the story, you`re really rooting for him to find his lovely little bird friend, Margalo, and you`re also quite disappointed that the tale ends so abruptly! If only White had written a Stuart sequel. I can`t say enough good things about Stuart, and re-discovering him has inspired me to both rent the movie and look for a copy of White`s essays.

Dull family classic
The second son of the Little family turns out to be a mouse, whom they nevertheless name Stuart and raise as their own. I was somewhat underwhelmed by this family classic. Stuart's "adventures," such as riding on a toy boat and going down a drain, are related briefly and dully, without developing much tension or excitement. The characters are unfailingly stiff and polite with each other; even the interaction between family members often comes off like conversations between strangers at a cocktail party. The Little family's treatment of Stuart seems quite neglectful as well. Mr. Little, in particular, seems to think nothing of sending his little son into potentially dangerous situations, such as down a drainpipe to fetch a ring. At one point, the book describes how it becomes Stuart's job to go inside the piano while it is being played and hold on to a key that sticks, even though doing so subjects him to loud noises that affect his hearing for hours afterward.

Cute but strange ending
This was a cute book about litle Stuart the mouse in NYC. I listened to it in my car a week ago. Its a great book for kids, but I kept thinking how bizarre some of the events were. The voice of the cat in the book is agravating, like fingernails on a blackboard. The book kind of trails of in the end when Stuart starts looking for his lover, the little bird Margolo. Then it ends. Odd. But a great book to read to kids at bedtime. .

Stuart Little
This book was about a family with the last name Little. One day the parents go out to adopt a brother for their son. When they arrive, a mouse starts speaking to them. They are so confused thinking of what kid they can take home with them. The mouse starts speaking to them of how much he would love to have a family. He would have loved to have a family like them.So afterall they adopt him. when they take him home the real son of theirs does not believe them that the rat is their brother. He also gets very dissapointed. One of the mouse's fears was that, big mean white sharped nailed, cat Snowball. Many times Snowbell tried eating him. Later on in this story he and Snowbell make good friends. Snowbell starts protecting Stuart from all of the street cats. Stuart sleeps in a match box. It's very hard for him to get around the city because he is so small and anyone may step on him. There is a movie and a book mad of him. The both brothers are put on a soccer team. ... Read more

Book Description

Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him.

Louis tries everything he can think of to win Serena's affection--he even goes to school to learn to read and write. But nothing seems to work. Then his father steals him a real brass trumpet. Is a musical instrument the key to winning Louis his love?

Reviews (75)

An Excellent Book
This tale of romance and courage kept me reading for hours. I couldn't stop reading it at home and school. I loved that book that I could read it again and again.This story is about a young swan that came into the world without a voice. He is determined to win the money he needs for his father's dept, because Louis's father stole a trumpet from a music store. Determined to raise the money needed.He travels from his beautiful home in Montana to places all over the country.He even got jobs like leading a swan boat in one place. Playing his trumpet at another and playing the trumpet at his human friend Sam Beaver's camp.Soon he raises the money he needs and his father pays back his dept.He also wins the heart of a female swan he loves Serena. This is a tale that'll have everyone reading for hours. I like this story and I'm sure others will too.

A Great Book
The Trumpet of the Swan is about a swan named Louis who was born mute. However, he was determined to do something to prove himself. He then asked a friend to help him to learn things that are taught in school. His parents were still not satisfied because they still could not communicate with their son. It was Louis's father who did a great sacrifice to help his son. Louis wanted to clear his father's debts and so he ecountered many adventures. However, what he wanted most was to have Serena (a beautiful female swan) for his wife. Did he succeed? Read this book and you will find out.

This book is a little touching and very exciting.

Trumpet of the Swan
I loved Trumpet of the Swan. It taught me basically everything with the situation that Louis had. It was a very good book. I think everyone will enjoy it at all ages. When I read it, I could not stop reading. Even when it was time to sleep, I took a flashlight and read it. It was a wonderful book. Everyone will definetly love The Trumpet of the Swan.

The Trumpet of the Swan
This book is about a young Trumpeter Swan named Louis who was born with a speech defect problem. He learns to play the trumpet and travels all over America. I was obsessed with it. In fact, I'm reading it again right now. I can't put it down. HELP!!!!!!!!!

It was a great book
It was a great book. I think it was a book that would calm people down. It could be something you can read in your spartime. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Charlotte's Web. Stuart Little. The Trumpet of the Swan. What other books even approach these masterpieces of children's literature in humor, poignancy, and long-lasting influence? E.B. White's three award-winning classics have been brought together in a very welcome gift set for any young reader. The hardcover editions feature the original, oh-so-memorable pictures by Garth Williams for Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, and wonderful, all-new illustrations by Caldecott Honor artist Fred Marcellino for The Trumpet of the Swan. White's ingenious blend of fantasy and the natural world has a timeless appeal. After reading Charlotte's Web, what child has not cried out to save a spider from a cruel, crushing heel: "Wait! That could be Charlotte!" Read them once or a hundred times--the memories will linger forever. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Stuart Little
Stuart Little is a mouse that is about 2 inches tall. Stuart is part of the family of the Fredrick.C.Littles. He has a friendly but shy manner. He's very smart for a mouse but his size gives him trouble sometimes. His life is an adventure when he sets out on the age of seven,he trys to find his dearest friend,Margalo, a friendly little bird who stayed with the Littles in their Boston Fern.

Stuart Little is an interesting book. I enjoyed reading it beacause it was funny and it had interesting vocabulary. There were some sad parts in the book. This Book got me absorbed into it.

I would recommend this book for children of the ages of 8 to 12. If you like fantasy stories then you would love this book. If you are a person who likes certain kinds of fantasy books then you should probably enjoy Stuart Little because you may get absorbed into the book. Also if you like fantasy books that have animals in it that talk and you like the Author E.B.White then you'll like this book.

a great author with three great books to share!
All three books are pretty good. Charlottes web is the best with a cute little pig named wilbur longing for a friend. Stuart little is also a good book. You get to see the world through the eyes of a mouse. The third book-Trumpet of the swan-is only ok!

The Triple Crown of White's Fictional Work
My 6-year-old daughter and I throughly enjoyed all three stories.

Most Creative Story: The "Trumpet Swan" because of the way White takes the reader to different places and settings through the eyes of Louis the Swan.

Most Profound Story: "Charlotte's web". Of all my years of education it took this simple book to grasp a real appreciation of nature and the web of life.

Funniest Story: "Stuart Little". Most of us have on more than one occassion laughed ourselves to tears upon reading, hearing, or watching some funny event. My last time occurred when reading about the trials and tribulations that Stuart had to endure in order to wash himslef in the morning (Picturing him swinging a mallot to turn on the hot water was for me hysterically funny!). I found the Stuart Little of this book much more cute and amusing than the one in a recent movie with the same title.

The Trumpet of the swan
Louis is the main character and he is a swan. He can't talk to other swans. Sam Beaver, a boy takes Louis to school, where he learns to read and write. But this isn't work to other swans and actually Louis was in love with the beautiful swan, Serena, and she spurns hin because he was defective. And Louis's father, the old cob, does a difficult thing. He stoles a trumpet so his son would be able to win his love. Louis wins on his love and pay the trumpet money.

Stuart Little is a good book
Stuart Little is a mouse and he is a great help around the house, but sometimes he gets into trouble, like when he got dumped in the garbage dump. I think it's cool how a human mommy and daddy had a baby who is a mouse instead of a kid. I like how Stuart liked Margalo the bird.

Kids that should read this book should be 4 or up. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great educational tool
Besides the fact that this book is one of the most-loved children's books of all time, the Spanish version is a great educational tool for all teachers and students of advanced middle school and high school Spanish. I have been a Spanish teacher in a high-rated public school district for 17 years, and I have been using this novel as an in-class reading project for the past 6. Along with three other teachers who teach at my level, we have convinced the foreign language department to make reading this novel a requirement for all students at this level. Almost all tenses are present-- past, present, future, and even some irregular verbs. I also reccomend this novel for students to read over the summer to keep their minds fresh and to keep them from going off-track. For whatever purpose, I highly reccomend this wonderfully-translated version of the timeless children's classic. ... Read more

Amazon.com

American essayist and novelist E.B. White (1899-1985) made his children's book debut in 1945 with Stuart Little, the picaresque, very funny adventure story of a two-inch-creature who, in White's words, "looks very much like a mouse," but who "obviously is not a mouse [but a second son]." After the story passed the test of his nieces and nephews, Stuart Little made it onto the desk of Harper's distinguished editor Ursula Nordstrom who, in a stroke of genius, matched White's work up with the whimsical art of illustrator Garth Williams. White and Williams's second novel, Charlotte's Web, stars a young girl Fern who saves the life of the runty 13th pig in a litter. Lyrical and profound, it's one of the few books for children that tackles death head-on--while celebrating friendship, affection, and the ordinary passing of time. White's last book for children, The Trumpet of the Swan, illustrated by Edward Francino, was published almost 20 years after Charlotte's Web, and is the unlikely tale of Louis, a mute trumpeter swan named for Louis Armstrong. He compensates for his muteness--and tries to gain the affection of the beautiful swan Serena--by becoming a virtuoso player of a real trumpet. Here, paperback editions of White's three beloved classics are packaged in one boxed set--a time-tested trio guaranteed to win the hearts of children. (Ages 9 and older) ... Read more

Book Description

Some Pig

These are the words in Charlotte's web, high in the barn. Her spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, as well as the feelings of a little girl named Fern ... who loves Wilbur, too. Their love has been shared by millions of readers.

Reviews (2)

E.B. white book fans beware!!!!
Let me send your taste buds for a ride with this wonderful book.Charlottes web is a book that is here to help you out with that! This is the amazing storie with a wonderful set of friendships here to satisfy you in this #184 PAGED BOOK FROM THE YEAR 1952. Charlotte and wilbur are the most used characters in the book with their life-long friendship and charlottes promise to save wilburs endangered life. This book is great for all ages. Share it with your family and friends. This book is very rare. Buy it now. Dont let this amazing book leave without you!!!!!!!!

Charlotte's Web
The book of "Charlotte's Web" was very inspiring to us. It taught us that life has hard times, but don't worry about all the bad things in life, focus and live your life to the fullest, and never let anything bring you down. The story of "Charlotte's Web", was about a little pig, that was born a runt. The girl, Fern, would not allow her father to kill the little pig, and she promised to care and love for the pig. She named him Wilbur. Then once the pig was old enough, her father said that he must be given away, so they decided to give it to her uncle, who lived just down the road. She visited him every day, and she also became friends with all of the other animals on the farm. On this farm there was a spider, named Charlotte. She became Wilbur's best friend. Later in the story, Fern's uncle decided to enter Wilbur in the state fair, and he won second place. At the fair, Charlotte made an egg sack, but then, after it was done, she passed away, and from then on Wilbur watched over her eggs, until one summer day, they hatched. There was about 300 hundred spiders, but all of them started to float away. Wilbur suddenly became sad again, but then he noticed there was 3 little spider, who were runts, who stayed with Wilbur at the farm, taking the place in life, of the never forgotten mother, Charlotte. ... Read more

Book Description

Louie is popular. He's a swan who can read, write, and play the trumpet! But when Louie goes to camp, he meets a boy named A.G. who doesn't like birds, even talented ones. It takes a dangerous stunt out on the lake to convence A.G. that Louie is more than a bird. He's a hero.

Book Description

‘[This] book is for all readers: literary analysts, process writing proponents, and middle-grade sleuths curious about an all-time favorite book. The annotations include information from White’s eight drafts of Charlotte’s Web, cross-references to his other writings and to the source books he used, Neumeyer's own stylistic comments and ‘some general, cultural, comments.’ The format sets each page of White’s text to a wide column of notes … [which] never overpower White’s prose.’—SLJ. ‘If Charlotte’s Webis E.B. White’s masterpiece, then surely The Annotated Charlotte’s Webis Peter Neumeyer’s. . . . It’s an invitation to a feast!"—H.

1995 Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book) ... Read more