WHO’S THAT KNOCKING ON CHRISTMAS EVE?

The solemn (and not too scary) polar bear gazing out from the cover of this latest offering from Brett (Daisy Comes Home, 2002, etc.) sets the tone for a tall tale of troll trouble based on a Norwegian folk tale. An older boy and his pet polar bear take shelter in the cozy mountain hut of a little girl named Kyri, who is worried that trolls will come to steal the Christmas Eve dinner as they have in years past. The naughty trolls do in fact tunnel in through the cellar and eat up the goodies before being chased away by the polar bear, awakened from his snooze under the stove. Brett makes good use of her signature touches: authentic cultural details in setting, costumes, and food; borders representing intricate handcrafted elements; and glimpses into actions happening on several fronts simultaneously through smaller side panels. The trolls and polar bears are incorporated into the midnight-blue sky at the top of each spread, as flickering images within the northern lights or as constellations, and the endpapers show an entire night sky with constellations made up of images from the story. Brett’s many fans will enjoy sharing this on Christmas Eve, perhaps with a plate of Scandinavian heart-shaped cookies like those that Kyri baked. (Picture book. 4-8)