Tom Thumb

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What to expect

When Charles S. Stratton was born in 1838, he seemed perfect in every way. But then he stopped growing. At age four, though a happy and mischievous child, he was just over two feet tall and weighed fifteen pounds—the exact size he had been as a seven-month-old baby. It was then that P. T. Barnum persuaded Charley's family to allow him to exhibit their son in his museum and tour him around the world as a curiosity. Tom Thumb, as Barnum dubbed him, was a natural performer. He became enormously popular and wealthy, more so than any other performer before him, in large part due to the marketing genius of Barnum.

In this spirited biography—the first on its subject—George Sullivan recounts the fascinating adventures of the real Tom Thumb, and also raises challenging questions about what constitutes exploitation—both in the nineteenth century and today.

Critics Review

  • “Well organized and clearly written, this solid biography offers a vivid portrayal of Stratton and makes a strong case for Tom Thumb as America’s first celebrity.”

    Booklist (starred review)

  • “While Sullivan touches on the subject of exploitation and the limited understanding of dwarfism in Stratton’s era, his subject emerges not as a victim but as an individual whose talents earned him the public’s admiration and a place in history.”

    Publishers Weekly

  • “Tom’s personal and professional relationships with Barnum make this biography a superb complement to Candace Fleming’s The Great and Only Barnum.”

    Kirkus Reviews

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