From Publishers Weekly
Nobel Prize-winning author Lagerlof serves up a robust version of this age-old folktale indigenous to many cultures. Here, in good Scandinavian tradition, it's a troll and not an elf nor a fairy who swipes the human baby and replaces it with her own. Thanks to Stevens's fluid translation, the lengthy tale never lags, and, like most folktales, it packs a tidy moral: goodness is always rewarded. The grieving farmer's wife risks alienation from her husband and neighbors by caring for the changeling, but her kindness is repaid when the troll spares the life of her own child and finally returns him. Winter's ( Diego ) stylized, lushly bordered illustrations make excellent use of spirited peasant motifs, updated with rich, plummy hues. And her endearingly hideous troll baby is truly a child only a mother could love. Ages 5-10.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
edition.
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6-- Rooted in Scandinavian and Celtic folklore, the theme of an innocent baby being replaced with a homely, ill-tempered troll or fairy child has intrigued writers for generations. Nobel-laureate Lagerlof drew upon the literature of her native Sweden to create this original story of a woman whose maternal instinct is so strong that she treats the changeling just as she would her own beloved child. Her concern for the troll's safety finally results in the release of her son. Told in the style of a European folktale, this translation is very readable. However, the length of the text and its sophisticated language make it suitable for middle graders. Bright illustrations in muted tones range in size from one-third page to full-page paintings, each framed on two sides by harmoniously tinted borders. Although the paintings are quite detailed, Winter's flat, folk-art style featuring plain-faced peasants gives them a look of simplicity. From cover to endpapers to handsomely illustrated text, the overall effect is most pleasing. --Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
edition.
