A review by mrsthrift
Gnomes by Wil Huygen

5.0

This is the second in the series of gnome books I've been reading lately. This book was a best seller from the 1970s, which means you can get tons of copies of it at used bookstores for very affordable prices and you will never have to wait to get a copy at the library. It also means that I just barely missed being part of the generation that read this book as a child, since I was born a few years too late. It's a largeish format book with really delightful illustrations, the kind of stuff that makes you consider getting a gnome tattoo (or maybe that's just me?). The mythology of the gnome is explored here in great detail with a tongue in cheek scientific air, and data points ranging from physiology to sociology of the gnome. From lifespan to honeymoon rituals, basically every aspect of the gnomes lives are chronicled here. I never knew that gnomes gave birth to twins every time! And I never saw a picture of a gnome mama tandem breastfeeding her gnome twins before, and if you haven't either, this book is worth a gander.