Customer Reviews

Christmas Trolls

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We own several of Jan Brett's books. The artwork is superb, entertaining, and the delightful borders on the edges of her pages often provide insights into the plot of the story. As much as we love Jan Brett's other books, this book is by far one of our family favorites. It is both magical and meaningful, and has a strong plot line.

In Christmas Trolls, the delightful trolls from "The Trouble With Trolls" learn about Christmas...most importantly, that the spirit of Christmas is giving, not getting. In today's materialistic society which seems to create greedy and whiny children, a powerful message indeed. We read it year round and enjoy it, it is frequently requested by my children, and it's one of the books I never get sick of reading.

A wonderful children's story with beautifully done illustrations. This book can even keep a 2 year old entertained through the whole story. Clever plot line is amusing enough to make me chuckle as well. Well worth reading and owning.

This book will delight the young child as the hero manages to out smart the trolls. The illustrations are lovely and add a sense of fun to this simple adventure story

This is one of our all time favorite children's books.

The illustrations are truly spectacular. Even grown ups will want to take a lot of time to study the intricacies of these pictures. The clothing depicted is especially interesting and beautiful.

The story is sweet, with a redemption rather than punishment ending. I always prefer when a children's story has a redemption ending. That's a better message to give our children: that everyone can be reformed if given the right opportunities.

You'll just get a really happy, warm feeling from this book.

Christmas Trolls is also suitable for very small children.

This is our favorite of Jan Brett's books so far. The moral weighs in a little heavily, but the illustrations are so magical tht they carry the story along almost effortlessly. My children and I have spent hours every Christmas looking at the troll's homes and their Christmas trees. The faithful porcupine silently carries a thread of the story in the half secret way makes Jan Brett's books so special.

Quite surely, your first question might be: What on earth is a troll? Well, it is a fictitious character, like an elf, originating in the Scandinavian countries. In this book, there are three stories going on at the same time: a family with two children, Treva, and her brother Sami, then, two little hedgehogs who have the run of their house, and the tree house, and finally, the two trolls, Mig, and Tig, who are at first little greedy characters who eventually become generous to others.

Treva and Sami, and their Mom and Dad are preparing their house for Christmas. The have gathered decorations, prepared food, and wrapped presents for one another. As the days get closer to Christmas, some of the presents, and some of the food, as well as the decorations start to disappear. The children go looking for the things, and as they walk around the outside of their house, certain clues appear. For instance, a delicious cake is being moved across the snow packed ground, in the direction of the tree house. A hedgehog is carrying it on its back.

In the tree house, you will find Mig and Tig, and the two trolls, who obviously have planned that the two little hedgehogs are the ones to carry these things from the family's house to the tree house where the trolls live. By the way, a hedgehog is a small animal with a spiny coat, who can defend itself by rolling into a ball. You would not want to mistake one for a place to sit; it would be like sitting on a ball of pins.

One day, shortly before Christmas, Treva and Sami discover the hedgehogs sneaking off with some of the presents, some of the decorations, and some of the presents. They follow the hedgehogs who bring these things to the tree house where the two trolls live. As they climb up the ladder made from rope, the two children notice that the trolls, Mig and Jig, are not playing with the things they've had the hedgehogs steal, the trolls are fighting with each other and arguing over the presents, the decorations, and the food.

So, Treva, tries to befriend the trolls, and she shows them a toy horse carved out of wood and painted red with lots of colorful decorations on it. She gives it to the two trolls. When you see them, you will giggle, because they look like a combination creature and prickly thing, with long tails, funny ears, and strange hair. The trolls, at first argue when they receive the toy horse, but Treva teaches them to take turns. In the meantime, the hedgehogs put all of the family's things back on their sleigh that they rode on to the tree house.

Once the children are home, and things are back where they belong, there is a surprise at their front door. It seems the gift of the wooden red horse was an idea; the trolls designed and made a wooden horse that looks like their red horse, and a little like the hedgehogs in prickliness, and the hair of the trolls. It seems that Treva's act of kindness pays off as the trolls show kindness in return.

You will want to take time to look at the three separate stories in this book, by looking at the center panel with Treva and Sami, and the side panels which show the goings on with the trolls and the hedgehogs. This is not a serious story; it's a fun story, but there is simple lesson about kindness in this book. Read it, and laugh! But, don't go looking for trolls, or hedgehogs, or any forest creatures.

"Christmas Trolls" by Jan Brett is a holiday favorite at my house, and my almost 5-year-old frequently requests it at bedtime. The story follows a young girl and her family through their preparations for Christmas. The girl finds that over a couple of days, things seem to be disappearing from the house such as ornaments from the tree, even presents meant for Christmas. When she spies a Christmas pudding being taken away by a hedgehog, the girl investigates and finds a pair of mischievous trolls who have pilfered the stuff for their own, out of a desperate need to experience Christmas. Rather than be angry, the young girl takes a different approach to the trolls' misdeeds, which so effectively conveys the true spirit of Christmas.

The illustrations are Nordic inspired, and beautifully portrayed in bright colors. The side bars on each page also provide insight into the story, helping readers piece together the essential parts to the story which makes this an engaging and interactive read, as my daughter kept looking at the side illustrations and pointed out to me things that even I would have missed if I had not looked at them. This is our favorite Jan Brett story and makes a great read for bedtime, during the holidays and all through the year!

This book is simply GOOD!
Beautiful illustrations.
It shows that we CAN all get along if WE all TRY!!!
The book is for kids, but I would like evryone to read it once.

Jan Brett's Scandinavian-inspired illustrations are so beautiful. They really transport you into rural Europe. This book is funny and sweet -- it's very dear. The only complaint is that at the end, it tries to moralize a bit about "learning the meaning of Christmas" but is kind of vague about exactly what that meaning actually is. It is implied that the meaning of Christmas is sharing/giving, but it is kind of glossed-over despite being a bit moralizing. But I would still give it 4 stars. My children love it and the illustrations are amazing.

I am from Norway living in in America with children. This is a great way to share my customs and myths from my home country. Thank you, Jan Brett