From the Publisher
Equally spare and forceful are the masterful illustrations. . . . each is a tour de force of design and execution. Powerful, moving, relevant.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
The author’s storytelling is direct with bold scenes, occasionally sinister twists, and touches of optimism. . . Love’s striking expressionistic illustrations with ominous creatures, rugged terrain, and dark colors set just the right tone for this distinctive collection.
—Booklist (starred review)
Although the tales are set in the past, there’s an immediacy and intimacy to the narrative voice that brings them right into the space of reader or listener. . . . With their unexpected turns and in the author’s fresh, poetic language, these tales become exceptionally mysterious and captivating.
—The Horn Book (starred review)
Lyrical and haunting. . . The illustrations by Jeffrey Alan Love are stark and dramatic. . . a must-read for fans of fantasy and mythology, especially Viking lore.
—School Library Connection (starred review)
Crossley-Holland's superb storytelling is perfectly paired with Love's powerful acrylic paint, ink and pencil-on-board art, which invokes the outsize effect the inhabitants of these other worlds have on the people of Middle Earth.
—Shelf Awareness
A beautiful and lyrical book. . . Unique and intriguing.
—School Library Journal
School Library Journal
12/01/2021
Gr 5 Up—Crossley-Holland delivers a new title consisting of five short stories based on Norse mythology. Readers are introduced to Middle Earth and the Norse gods in the foreword, followed by the stories of these gods and humans. The first tale centers three gods trying to outsmart a troll. The second follows a man who seeks information only belonging to a ghost. In the third, readers learn about creating beauty from little through hard work. The fourth tells of a surprisingly tricky god out for a fun jaunt over the rainbow bridge. The final story explores how the gift of lyrical poetry gets passed down through generations. Readers do not need any previous knowledge of Norse mythology to enjoy this book. At a short 96 pages (many of which are full of gorgeous illustrations), this will be a quick read for an older child or teen. However, be aware that some of these stories end as many myths do, with violence. With the caveat in mind to deliver this to readers mature enough for such content, this is a beautiful and lyrical book that will be enjoyed by many older children and teens. VERDICT Unique and intriguing for the right reader. Recommended purchase where mythology is popular.—Elizabeth Portillo, Finkelstein Memorial Lib., Spring Valley, NY
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2021-08-18
A compendium of Norse tales from the age of the Vikings.
In ninth-to-11th-century Scandinavia, the world was, to the humans who inhabited it, a place full of spirits, gods, trolls, giants, and dwarves. Midgard (“Middle Earth”), where humans lived, was also home to giants and dwarves and a place where spirits of the uneasy dead walked. The gods lived in Asgard, above Midgard, and occasionally came to visit Midgard by way of a three-strand rainbow bridge. The five tales gathered here, mostly from Iceland, have a powerful, unadorned way of going, reflecting the subsistence lives of the people who created them as a way to make sense of their often capricious existence. A mother and father implore the gods for help to save their daughter from a troll. A human girl is given the gift of flax by the goddess Frigg, wife of Odin, the Allfather. While the archaic details may be unfamiliar, the basic essence of the human condition comes through loud and clear—and comfortingly. With each story, readers will realize both the close connection the people felt with the natural world and how deeply they lived their spare and forceful existence. Equally spare and forceful are the masterful illustrations. Silhouette spots are interspersed with dramatic, limited-color double-page spreads that show off and deepen the narrative, sometimes portraying harsh, raw, and even frightening scenes, sometimes gentle and illuminating ones; each is a tour de force of design and execution.
Powerful, moving, relevant. (Traditional literature. 10-14)
