‘The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking’ by Astrid Lindgren
An enticing, newly illustrated collection of the enduringly popular Pippi stories. Since Pippi Longstocking was first published in 1950, the escapades of the incomparable Pippi, the girl with upside-down braids and no parents to tell her what to do, have delighted boys and girls alike. Now, for the first time, Pippi Longstocking, Pippi Goes on Board, and Pippi in the South Seas are all together in one bumper volume, with new illustrations in full-color and black-and-white. The collection is an ideal introduction for anyone discovering Pippi for the first time, while confirmed fans will enjoy revisiting their favorite episodes and recalling some they’ve forgotten. Her admirers will also find fascinating new biographical information about author Astrid Lindgren and the origin of the Pippi stories. Astrid Lindgren was awarded the 1958 ‘Hans Christian Andersen Medal’ for her contribution to international children’s literature. Buy this book on Bookshop.org
‘The Legend of the Icelandic Yule Lads’ by Heidi Herman
‘The Legend of the Icelandic Yule Lads’ is well-known among Icelanders: it has been passed down from generation to generation for over 1,500 years and can be traced back to 13th Century and the Snorri Sturlson’s Edda. This unique Christmas tale about trolls was once used to terrorize children who misbehaved until in 1746 a public decree was issued to forbid parents from doing it. In the years since, the Yule Lads’ character has been softened and, as the legend goes, they come down from the mountain, one each day starting 13 days before Christmas, they stay through Christmas Day, then leave, one each day, in the order they arrived. This modernized version of the tale brings new life to this very old story: one by one, the Yule Lads each take a break from his own mischief, and each one learns the happiness gained from gift-giving. Even from a source as unlikely as a troll, a selfish act wrapped up in the Christmas spirit grows into something wonderful. Göran Tunström’s intriguing saga ‘Christmas Oratorio’ begins when Solveig Nordensson is accidentally killed in the 1930s, and ends when her grandson Victor finds redemption for himself (and his whole family) in a staging of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, a performance interrupted by Solveig’s tragic death half a century earlier. Buy this book on Bookshop.org
‘The Yule Tomte and the Little Rabbits: a Christmas story for Advent’ by Ulf Stark (Author), Eva Eriksson (Illustrator), Susan Beard (Translator)
If Grumpy the dwarf were a Swedish elf he’d star in this charming illustrated holiday story. 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? Ulf Stark’s ‘The Yule Tomte and the Little Rabbits: A Christmas Story for Advent’ is a charming and funny Christmas story of a grumpy tomte and some hopeful little rabbits, told over twenty-five chapters (one for each day of Advent) with delightful festive illustrations that make it perfect for families to share together. A tomte is a Swedish spirit from Nordic folklore who is associated with Christmas, and this is the story of Grump the Yule Tomte, who lives all alone, waiting for Christmas to arrive. But something goes wrong and he decides that he won’t be the Yule Tomte any more. Will the Yule Tomte ever bring Christmas to the big forest? Buy this book on Bookshop.org
‘Moomin Book One: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip’ by Tove Jansson
The enchanting comic strip that introduced adult readers to the wonderful world of Moomin. Tove Jansson is revered around the world as one of the foremost children’s authors of the twentieth century for her illustrated chapter books regarding the magical worlds of her creation, the Moomins. The Moomins saw life in many forms but debuted to its biggest audience ever on the pages of the world’s largest newspaper, the London Evening News, in 1954. The strip was syndicated in newspapers around the world with millions of readers in forty countries. Moomin Book One is the first volume of Drawn & Quarterly’s publishing plan to reprint the entire strip drawn by Jansson before she handed over the reins to her brother Lars in 1960. This is the first time the strip will be published in any form in North America and will deservedly place Jansson among the international cartooning greats of the last century.
The Moomins are a tight-knit family-hippo-shaped creatures with easygoing and adventurous outlooks. Jansson’s art is pared down and precise, yet able to compose beautiful portraits of ambling creatures in fields of flowers or on rock-strewn beaches that recall Jansson’s Nordic roots. The comic strip reached out to adults with its gentle and droll sense of humor. Whimsical but with biting undertones, Jansson’s observations of everyday life, including guests who overstay their welcome, modern art, movie stars, and high society, easily caught the attention of an international audience and still resonate today. Buy this book on Bookshop.org
‘Folktales of Asbjørnsen and Moe’ by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen (Author), Jørgen Moe (Author) and Tiina Nunnally (Translator)
A new, definitive English translation of the celebrated story collection regarded as a landmark of Norwegian literature and culture. The extraordinary folktales collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe began appearing in Norway in 1841. Over the next two decades the publication of subsequent editions under the title ‘Norske folkeeventyr’ made the names Asbjørnsen and Moe synonymous with Norwegian storytelling traditions. Tiina Nunnally’s vivid translation of their monumental collection is the first new English translation in more than 150 years, and the first ever to include all sixty original tales. Magic and myth inhabit these pages in figures both familiar and strange. Giant trolls and talking animals are everywhere. The winds take human form. A one-eyed old woman might seem reminiscent of the Norse god Odin. We meet sly aunts, resourceful princesses, and devious robbers. The clever and fearless boy Ash Lad often takes center stage as he ingeniously breaks spells and defeats enemies to win half the kingdom. These stories, set in Norway’s majestic landscape of towering mountains and dense forests, are filled with humor, mischief, and sometimes surprisingly cruel twists of fate. All are rendered in the deceptively simple narrative style perfected by Asbjørnsen and Moe, now translated into an English that is as finely tuned to the modern ear as it is true to the original Norwegian. Included here, for the very first time in English, are Asbjørnsen and Moe’s Forewords and Introductions to the early Norwegian editions of the tales. Asbjørnsen gives us an intriguing glimpse into the actual collection process and describes how the stories were initially received, both in Norway and abroad. Equally fascinating are Moe’s views on how central characters might be interpreted and his notes on the regions where each story was originally collected. Nunnally’s informative Translator’s Note places the tales in a biographical, historical, and literary context for the twenty-first century. The Norwegian folktales of Asbjørnsen and Moe are timeless stories that will entertain, startle, and enthrall readers of all ages. Buy this book on Bookshop.org
‘The Ugly Duckling’ by Hans Christian Andersen
A gorgeous, Caldecott Honor-winning version of the classic story. For over one hundred years, Hans Christian Andersen‘s ‘The Ugly Duckling’ has been a childhood favorite, and Jerry Pinkney’s spectacular adaptation brings it triumphantly to new generations of readers. With keen emotion and fresh vision, the acclaimed artist captures the essence of the tale’s timeless appeal: the journey of the awkward little bird, marching bravely through hecklers, hunters, and cruel seasons, is an unforgettable survival story; this blooming into a graceful swan is a reminder of the patience often necessary to discover true happiness. Splendid watercolors set in the lush countryside bring the drama to life in this hardcover picture book. Buy this book on Bookshop.org
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