The Troll with No Heart in His Body

The Troll with No Heart in His Body

and Other Tales of Trolls from Norway

retold by Lise Lunge-Larsen

woodcuts by Betsy Bowen 1999

Most Americans are familiar with trolls from the story of the Billy Goats Gruff, but trolls are an integral part of Scandinavian folklore as much as the fairies and little folk of Irish legends.  Lunge-Larsen does a commendable job with the introduction and the blurbs of information provided for each story.  Betsy Bowen's accompanying woodcut illustrations are also quite striking.  

What's in the Dark

What's in the Dark

Carl Memling

pictures by John E. Johnson 1971

 If you have a little one ready for bed, this might be just the book to get them to sleep.  Here the dark is not scary or ominous, it just is the dark.  And here are all the things that are in the dark, like, "The pants you wore today, your shoes, your socks, your T-shirt"  or "Your crayons in a jumbled pile, the new ones, used ones, broken ones- they're in the dark."

"In the dark" is the repetitive refrain and it lends a soft, soothing, almost lullaby-like quality to the text.  I could see this being read with a low and quiet voice while children snuggle under their covers and look at the deep blues and teals and purples of the illustrations. 

Love these 70's endpages!

I just love this artwork!

The Wonderful Feast

The Wonderful Feast

Esphyr Slobodkina 1955

Slobodkina was a Russian abstract artists whose children's book "Caps for Sale" is a longtime classic.  The Wonderful Feast maintains her abstract colorful style while telling a folksy tale about there being enough for everyone.

Favorite Poems Old and New

 "This book had its beginning years ago when two parents, loving poetry, made it as much a part of their children's every day as getting up in the morning, eating breakfast, going to school, playing outdoors until suppertime."   -Helen Ferris

    

Favorite Poems Old and New
Selected for Boys and Girls by Helen Ferris
illustrated by Leonard Weisgard 1957

Helen Farris' selections are grouped by different themes like "Roundabout the Country, Roundabout Town" and "People to Know, Friends to Make".  I appreciated that she even included poetry from other countries in the section "From All the World to Me".  As an extra treat the beginning of each section includes a line drawing by Leonard Weisgard.

Favorite Nursery Tales

No one does fuzzy like Garth Williams.  Even the pigs in the story "The Three Little Pigs" look cuddle-able! 

Favorite Nursery Tales

illustrated by Garth Williams 1958

This little bear is my very favorite!!

Ugh

Ugh

Arthur Yorinks

illustrated by Richard Egielski 1990

There's something about Richard Egielski's artwork that I've always liked.  This pairing with Arthur Yorinks is a type of Cinderella story featuring a cave boy named "Ugh".  Put upon by his family to do the laundry and keep the cave home clean, Ugh just wants to create and make things.  When the scientist, Oy, invents the wheel, Ugh sees his opportunity to build something that has never been thought of before.  Soon the whole world (which consists of a handful of cavemen and women) are looking for the creator of this remarkable machine so they can crown him king!  This is the type of story that will appeal to those of a sillier nature and of course Egielski fans.