While preparing for my son's history course, I read about how this poem is based on some historical truth. This addition defines archaic words. My son will be reading this poem & researching the different theories on this event.
I love the old-fashion illustrations.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
Ms. Larsen explains that according to the ancient Norse story, our world was created from the enormous frost giant, Ymir, the father of all trolls. Even though trolls are extinct, she claims that you can find parts of them in creation. The bulk of the book is dedicated in sharing how one can trick a troll through old Nordic tales retellings.
Kids will love hearing these short, clever stories. My oldest son would have loved this book as a preschooler/early elementary student!
Considerations/discussions: How was the world truly created, Did trolls ever exist?
-Borrowed from the library.
A Princess, spoiled by her doting father, thinks only of herself and demands that her every desire be fulfilled. Men look at her and fall immediately in love with her. She views no one worthy of herself, of course! One day a Prince proposes to her and lays a casket of pearls at her feet. She overturns the casket, causing pearls to spill all over the floor. The only way she will marry this Prince is if he brings her the Singing Ringing Tree. He travels many miles and discovers the tree. An ugly Dwarf guards the tree. He allows the Prince to take the tree. But if the Princess refuses to marry him, they must return to him under his power and in whatever form he selects. The Princess refuses. . . .
I did not enjoy the style of the illustrations.
This legend has its roots in Germany & Slavic folk and fairy tales.
-Borrowed via ILL.
After skipping stones across Juniper Creek with his sister Tess and best friend Anthony, Logan calls his dog Skeeter to come home as the sun sets. Skeeter, however, remains in the dark woods. The three children enter it to convince Skeeter to obey. He is sitting at the base of a tree and peering upwards. A flash of white at the treetops causes the leaves to shake. Instantly, whatever it was disappears. The children think it is a ghost. Over the next couple of days the children hear about the ghost legend of Juniper Creek. Logan decides to create and to set a ghost trap.
A second storyline is included. An astute thinker will perceive quickly how these two storylines mesh.
I think the illustrations in this series are adorable. This book's ending is humorous.
Considerations/discuss: ghosts The conclusion is that they are not real. When Logan's little sister, Annie, asks what he is making, he lies. He doesn't want her to know it is a ghost trap and be scared. The author calls it a "fib", almost making it seem benign. Good discussion-is it ok to lie like this?
-Borrowed from the library.
I own Tomie dePaola's version of this legend.
The giant Finn MacCoul lives with his wife Oonagh on Knockmany Hill. As a chieftan of the Fianna, the Irish people respect him. While building a bridge to Scotland, Finn encounters a fierce Scots giant, Cucullin. Cucullin's plan is to "make paste of" Finn. Thankfully, Oonagh creates a clever plan to subdue Cucullin.
I love the big vibrant the illustrations.
Read also Fin M'Coul: The Giant of Knockmany Hill by Tomie dePaola to compare.
Consideration: Fairies and magic are the source of strength and aid in this story.
-Borrowed from the library.
King Alfred, the only English king called "Great", loved stories and longed for his people to be able hear & read stories in English. As a result, in his spare time, he learned Latin so he could translate stories into English. This book focuses on this desire and his tenacity plus a story he heard from a trader, Wulfstan.
The illustrations fill the page or two page spreads and will immerse the reader into this time period. A couple of the illustrations may be a bit scary for sensitive readers (depictions of a personified sea & three old magicians). I like how the Mr. Riddell separates the two stories-King Alfred & his court and the story Wulfstan relates by color hues (King Alfred = brown; Wulfstan= blue).
I did not like how the author has Wulstan use improper grammar -using "me" as a subjective prononun! Three times he included this- "Me and my crew" & "Me and my salt-friends"-2x. Maybe it is ok to speak & write this way in Great Britain?
*Highly recommend.
-I own this book.
A lavishly illustrated account about King Arthur's entire life
This hefty graphic novel portrays the legend of King Arthur and his knights in an engaging manner. I especially appreciated the word choice and the writing style. Although I highly recommend it, I think it is best suited for high school and older. See the warnings.
*Highly recommend.
Warnings: Arthur is born out of an affair (although his mother was tricked by magic) between the king and the Duchess of Cornwall, Arthur has a son out of wedlock with his half-sister (he, however, did not know she was his half-sister), mentions of initimacy (no details are given-readers infer ), Lancelot and Queen Guinevere have an affair, very graphic violence-described The illustrations show blood and the gore.
-Borrowed via ILL-I bought this book, so I own it too now.
I had never heard of illustrator Pauline Baynes until Waxwing Books announced its latest publication, Painting Wonder, How Pauline Baynes Illustrated the Worlds of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien. Upon looking at our set of Narnia books, I discovered that we owned books illustrated by her. I am glad Ms. Katie Wray Schon choose to investigate this illustrator's life and celebrate her contributions to the literature and art world. Of course I wanted to read more books Ms. Baynes illustrated and borrowed all that our library system owned. I think I like the illustrations Ms. Baynes created in the Narnia series and for J.R.R. Tolkien best. The illustrations in the picture books were not in a style that I found appealing.
Below are the three I read (plus Ms. Schon's biography)-
1. Painting Wonder by Katie Wray Schon-available April 1, 2025 (I preordered so my copy was shipped a few days early!) Whimsical illustrations with unusual and clever layouts *Highly recommend.
Thirteen legends about Scotland's famous castles Delightfully written-perfect for sharing via reading aloud The illustrations are stunning.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed via ILL
Based on a Swiss legend
Each Christmas Eve Anne-Marie dreams that she will be the one to give the perfect gift to the St. Julien's Christ Child to make him smile and to make the catherdal's silent bells to ring. Since their installation two-hundred years ago, the bells have never rung. This year Anne-Marie plans to bestow the Christ Child an exquiste shaw she has created. The village is also enlivened with the news that the Prince of Aragon, Don Carlos, will be joining their Christmas Eve tradition and will be giving the Christ Child the best gift.
As she and Barry, her St. Bernard, run errands for her mother and prepare for Christmas, she encounters various individuals with whom she trades objects, until she is left with a crudely carved sheep to give the Christ Child.
Although the story was predictable, I enjoyed it. Throughout the story, my Type-A personality became exasperated with Anne-Marie's day-dreaming and her lack of focus to complete tasks.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed via ILL.
In New Hampshire, in the mountains, Great Stone Face stares over the village. Ethan grows up hearing the prophecy that someone nearby would be born to resemble the Great Stone Face and be the noblest person. Great men return to the village with villagers predicting that this man would fulfill the prophecy. Each time Ethan is disappointed. The ending is predictable but sweet.
-Borrowed from the library.
Mr. DePaola relates the legend of Old Befana and how she began visiting the children of Italy, searching for the Christ Child.
-Borrowed from the library.
Fleeing Ireland during the Great Famine, siblings, Molly and Kip, arrive in England without parents, searching for work. When the town doesn't provide job opportunities, they seek employment in the countryside at a manor house. A huge tree is growing next to the house with its roots growing into the rooms and walls. The family that resides there seems sickly. Each day they seem to be growing thinner and paler. At night a man wanders the house with a watering can and wind swirling around him. Everyone in the house has reoccuring nightmares. When Molly and Kip try to protect each other and the family from the man, he pursues them and nearly kills them. They know they must leave the manor. Evil lurks and controls it. Then Molly enters the mysterious room with the green door. What she finds there causes her to feel compelled to stay. Can Kip open her eyes to the depth of evil and convince her to leave?
A very well-crafted story with interesting characters (even the minor ones are well-developed). I stayed up very late to finish the last half of the book! It took Mr. Auxier nine years to write this book. Every aspect of it is quality.
*Highly recommend, but NOT for the sensitive reader. Some scary parts (the Night Gardener is very creepy and evil) ; violence. Three people die during the story. **Spoiler alert-Molly and Kip's parents die in a sinking boat before the story begins.
-Borrowed from the library.
