Publishers Weekly
09/15/2014
Never neglect a nisse. Such is the hard lesson learned by young Bettina in this novel, set in Denmark. Bettina’s grandfather, or Farfar, has always believed in the nisse, the elflike creatures rumored to look after the family and its livestock, and he never forgot to leave them a bowl of Christmas pudding. But on this first Christmas since Farfar’s death, Bettina’s parents are called away and leave her in charge. In the resulting confusion, Klaake the nisse gets no holiday treat and resorts to mischief as payback. Things get out of hand when Klaake snatches away Bettina’a baby sister and sets off a chain of dramatic magical encounters between Bettina and the nisse. Houts’s descriptions of the glistening weather phenomenon of winterfrost heighten the air of wonder in the story. The mix of fantasy, legend, and holiday tradition makes for a heady, escapist read. Ages 8–12. Agent: Karen Grencik, Red Fox Literary. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Narrated in a comfortingly authoritative voice that is reminiscent of storytelling around a winter’s hearth, this folkloric tale is rich with depth and tradition and full of a child’s wonder of the natural world. ... A timeless story that upholds and nurtures the magical worlds of nature and childhood.
—Kirkus Reviews
Children with a fascination for all things cute and tiny will delight in the cozy details of nisse household life, with its acorn cups and thistledown stockings. At the same time, they will appreciate Bettina’s struggle to cope with very adult responsibilities. A gentle holiday adventure with a quiet message of courage and responsibility.
—School Library Journal
A sweet but suspenseful story... The plot comes together as Bettina bravely searches for her sister in the sparkling wilderness, which seems to be under some sort of winter spell.
—Booklist
Readers will enjoy this benevolent Christmastime adventure inspired by Danish folklore.
—The Horn Book
Simple and sweet, this contempo- rary fairy tale uses straightforward prose and measured pacing to tell a story both slightly otherworldly and utterly accessible. Bettina is calm, rational, and brave, an admirable ... heroine, and Houts paints the nisse with humor and whimsy. Charming and guileless, this story of adventure and enchantment would work well for a young fairy-tale aficionado or as a classroom readaloud in those restless days just before winter break.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Houts’s descriptions of the glistening weather phenomenon of winterfrost heighten the air of wonder in the story. The mix of fantasy, legend, and holiday tradition makes for a heady, escapist read.
—Publishers Weekly
Written in the folkloric language and style of old tales, young readers will enjoy the tiny lives of the nisse and appreciate the spunk and courage displayed by Bettina as she solves the problem of the troublesome Klaaka.
—Reading Today Online
This magical adventure leads you into a winter-frost world of Danish folklore and family love.
—Discovery Girls
Charming.
—The Buffalo News
School Library Journal - Audio
02/01/2015
Gr 3–7—It's Christmas Eve on a farm in Denmark and the Larsens are suddenly called away to attend to their grandmother, who has broken her hip, leaving 12-year-old Bettina to care for her baby sister Pia alone. Or at least she thinks she is alone. When they forget to put out the traditional rice pudding for the gnome-like nisse, Klakke the barn nisse takes revenge. This sets in motion a series of events that put Bettina in a very difficult situation. Based on real Danish customs, Houts's contemporary folktale has all the right ingredients—heroine, villain, magic, conflict, and resolution through kindness and courage. Narrator Amy McFadden brings to life Bettina and the imaginary world of the tiny nisse with a wide range of distinguishing voices. The listener is swept along by the suspenseful plot, witty dialogue, and vivid descriptions of woodland scenery. This audiobook is well suited for children, but adults who enjoy stories about wee folk, such as The Borrowers or The Spiderwick Chronicles, will also find much to enjoy here. VERDICT This gem of a book is ideal for a classroom study in Christmas traditions.—Alice Davidson, Indianapolis, IN
School Library Journal
07/01/2014
Gr 3–5—The Larsens' Christmas dinner is interrupted by a frantic emergency call that summons both parents away, leaving 12-year-old Bettina in charge of the farm, the household, and baby Pia. Unfortunately, in the confusion, family members forget the tradition of putting a bowl of holiday rice pudding out for the nisse who protects their Danish homestead. While the wee magical folk are usually kind and helpful, tradition warns that they can be prickly when slighted. So, when little Pia vanishes, Bettina fears that the offended nisse are to blame. An enchanted winterfrost opens the way for her to enter their hidden world. She learns that Pia is being held by Ulf, an angry nisse, estranged from his family and filled with guilt over a long-ago mistake. To bring her sister home, Bettina must travel to Ulf's lonely island and help the unhappy recluse make peace with his family and his past. Children with a fascination for all things cute and tiny will delight in the cozy details of nisse household life, with its acorn cups and thistledown stockings. At the same time, they will appreciate Bettina's struggle to cope with very adult responsibilities. A gentle holiday adventure with a quiet message of courage and responsibility.—Elaine E. Knight, formerly at Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL
Kirkus Reviews
2014-06-29
A magical middle-grade tale of a human child's encounter with nisse folk—tiny gnomelike creatures who, legend has it, inhabit the houses, barns and woodlands of Denmark. When 12-year-old Bettina Larsen is entrusted with the farm chores and the care of her infant sister, Pia—after an unexpected Christmas Eve phone call results in the hasty departure of her parents—she is proud of her ability to do both. But in the confusion of leaving, the Larsen family has neglected an important Danish Christmas Eve tradition: putting out rice pudding for the barn nisse. Bettina isn't sure she believes in nisse, although her Farfar (grandfather) did—the only adult Bettina knows who did. But then strange things start happening at the Larsen farm (nisse are generally helpful, but they do like their Christmas Eve rice pudding). When Pia goes missing after a nap, Bettina searches in the woods behind the farm, where she discovers a nisse family that helps her find her sister, and in the process, Bettina helps them heal an old family rift. Narrated in a comfortingly authoritative voice that is reminiscent of storytelling around a winter's hearth, this folkloric tale is rich with depth and tradition and full of a child's wonder of the natural world. Alternating chapters tell the tale from young nisse Klakke's point of view.A timeless story that upholds and nurtures the magical worlds of nature and childhood. (Fantasy. 8-12)
