This classic story of the Tomten’s nocturnal visits to all of the residents of wintry farm has been reminding children of the promise of spring for decades. “The friendly troll Tomten will be a welcome visitor. . . . Highly recommended.”—School Library Journal (starred review) “Wiberg’s lovely, full-color paintings convey the hushed atmosphere of night in the Swedish countryside and also the sweet charms of the Tomten. . . . The gentle story with its eye-filling scenes is an apt choice for a bedtime read-aloud.”—Publishers Weekly “A picture book of rare distinction.”—The Chicago Tribune An ALA Notable Book A Parents’ Choice Paperback Award Winner
A playful holiday picture book from Sven Nordqvist (creator of The Dog Walk and Findus and Pettson) with a story based on a Swedish Christmas tradition. It's Christmas Eve, and Papa tomte is eagerly waiting for the human family to leave out a bowl of porridge. But Mama tomte has a terrible feeling the family have forgotten! Mama tomte and the children hatch a plan to steal a bowl of Christmas porridge. Can they sneak through the house without being seen? Sven Nordqvist, one of Sweden's most popular author and illustrators, is inspired by the tradition of leaving a sweet treat to thank the tomtes (magical gnome-like creatures) in this charming story that's full of delightful details.
Jan Brett's beloved character Hedgie stars in this charming story about a little Tomten who gets tired of porridge for breakfast and starts stealing Henny's eggs. But Henny wants a brood of chicks and she needs her eggs. With the help of clever Hedgie, she substitutes an acorn, a strawberry, a mushroom and finally a potato in her nest. But nothing stops that Tomten until the little hedgehog hides in Henny's nest: when the Tomten reaches in to get his morning treat, all he gets is a handful of prickles. He runs home for porridge and never comes back again! Intricate needlepoint patterns of Scandinavian designs frame the characters reacting from the borders in this beautiful picture book set in Denmark.
Trolldom, the folk magic of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, has been practiced for more than 500 years. Now, after extensive research, Johannes Björn Gårdbäck presents the fascinating occult art of Norse trolldom to an English-speaking audience.This detailed account of traditional Scandinavian folk magic offers in-depth historical background, divination methods, and descriptions of practical spell-craft, and includes hundreds of collected Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish trolldom workings for love, money, protection, healing, and cursing.
Is there a distinctly Swedish national character? Are Swedes truly shy, unemotional, conflict-avoiding, melancholy, and dour? Swedish Mentality, the English translation of the hugely successful book published in Sweden in 1989, considers the reality behind the myth. The author, Åke Daun, is a respected ethnologist who is sometimes referred to as the "guru" of Swedish character. In recent years, it has become popular to discuss Swedishness and Swedish identity. The advent of the European Union and the increasing presence of immigrant refugees in Sweden have fueled public debate on the distinctiveness of Swedish culture. Daun, however, goes beyond stereotype, drawing upon statistics gathered over more than a decade of research. The result is an entertaining and engagingly written book. Throughout, Daun quotes from interviews with native Swedes and immigrants as well as from travel accounts, folklore, and proverbs. We learn why some Swedes might prefer to walk up a flight of stairs rather than share an elevator with a neighbor and why some gain satisfaction from walking alone in the woods or going fishing. Daun describes a range of factors influencing Swedish character, including population composition, rural background, and even climate. He recognizes behavioral variations related to gender, age, class, and region, and he considers subtleties of individual character as well. Swedish Mentality should interest a wide array of readers, whether of Swedish descent or not.
"Charming, hushed illustrations and quiet text together evoke the soft, snowy silence and winter beauty of a Swedish night".--School Library Journal. Full-color illustrations.
Grump the Yule Tomte lives all alone, which is exactly how he likes it! He's waiting for Christmas to arrive when all of a sudden a gust of wind steals his mittens from the washing line and his hat from his head. That's the last straw -- he won't be the Yule Tomte any more! Binny and Barty, the rabbit children, live with their family in the forest. They've never heard of Christmas, or the Yule Tomte, until the wind brings them some strange gifts... All the animals in the forest prepare for the arrival of Christmas. They make presents, bake sweet treats and even write a song. But will the Yule Tomte ever bring Christmas to the big forest? This charming and funny Christmas story of a grumpy tomte and the hopeful little rabbits is told over twenty-five chapters -- one for each day of Advent -- with delightful festive illustrations. Perfect for families to share together.
