The Hidden Folk: Stories of Fairies, Dwarves, Selkies, and Other Secret Beings [Hardcover]

Lise Lunge-Larsen (Author), Beth Krommes (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Selkies, fairies, gnomes, hill folk, river sprites—do you believe in them? Perhaps among the flowers, beside a mountain, or near deep waters you’ve caught a glimpse, once or twice, of what you thought might be the silvery shadow of a dwarf, or a hint of a fairy’s wing, or the tail of the water horse. Or was it just the odd light of dusk or dawn playing tricks? As Lise Lunge-Larsen’s magical, timeless stories reveal and Beth Krommes’s enchanting scratchboard illustrations capture, the hidden folk are there, all right: you just have to know where—and how—to look.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 1-4–In her introduction to this collection of magical tales, Lunge-Larsen traces the history of those "beings whose presence we feel but whom we cannot see." She explains that, like humans, "Some are kind and gentle; some are quick to anger and resentment," but all are hidden away. They are most likely to show themselves during "in-between" times, appearing at Midsummer Night's Eve or the winter solstice, or during the transitions from dusk to night and from dawn to day. Focusing on tales from northern Europe, the book is divided into sections on flower fairies, gnomes, hill folk, elves, dwarves, water horses, river sprites, and selkies. Each chapter begins with an overview and contains one or two brief stories. Genial asides appear in the margins and further elucidate each magical creature. The author draws on a rich tradition of legends and myths, retelling them in an accessible manner that will captivate readers. Handsome scratchboard illustrations decorate the pages with stylized figures and landscapes. The vivid hues and interesting textures make an eye-catching combination. Descriptive borders herald each section and highlight motifs related to its subject (e.g., the paragraphs on dwarves are framed by anvils, pick axes, shovels, etc.). A source note puts the tales in perspective.–Harriett Fargnoli, Great Neck Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5, younger for reading aloud. Professional storyteller and educator Lunge-Larsen presents eight short tales, retold or invented, featuring the magical creatures that lurk just out of sight. Drawing inspiration from northern European folklore and fragmentary family anecdotes, she explains parsley's bitter taste as the spit of angry Flower Fairies and crafts encounters with a dangerous Water Horse, a dwarf king who repays a poor man's act of kindness with a never-emptied purse, and more. A version of "The Selkie Wife," which is close to its traditional antecedents, seems to want source notes, but there's really enough new material here that the lack of notes is forgivable--and the author does append a bibliography of relevant collections and reference works. Using jewel-tone colors and a scratchboard technique, Krommes provides handsome borders and stylized full-page illustrations that give this gathering a suitably folktale feel. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; None edition (August 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618174958
• ISBN-13: 978-0618174959
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #127,776 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Delightful Book, March 11, 2005

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hidden Folk: Stories of Fairies, Dwarves, Selkies, and Other Secret Beings (Hardcover)

This book is so good that I wish I had enough space here to include most of it. Oh I wish I'd had this book when my daughter was tiny. (She's six feet tall now and engaged and won't let me read to her any more.)

Let me just quote a few sentences: "Flower fairies love flowers so much that some of them find their way into our gardens. In fact, the more flowers you plant, the more likely it is that the fairies will find you. Their favorite is the tulip because in the spring, when their babies are born, they can lay them down inside the petals and rock them to sleep."

And then there is how the fairies invented parsley.

And the selkie, who ... No, you need to read it.

Perhaps my daughter will bring some grandkids into the family. Then I'd have an excuse.

No, I don't need an excuse, tonight I'm going to put on a Harry Potter movie, and when it's over I'm going to bed and read this little book just to myself.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, August 6, 2005

By 

Watts (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hidden Folk: Stories of Fairies, Dwarves, Selkies, and Other Secret Beings (Hardcover)

If you've had enough of plasticized, mass marketed, "Disney'd" fairytales, get this book.

Illustrations are cute, and whether legitimate classics or variations thereof (I don't know...), the stories are wonderful.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Hidden Folk:Stories of Fairies, Dwarves, and Other Secret Beings, February 13, 2008

By 

S. Roberts (King George, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hidden Folk: Stories of Fairies, Dwarves, Selkies, and Other Secret Beings (Hardcover)

I was looking for a book for my soon to be 9 yr old son who is interested in dwarves, fairies, etc. This book fit the bill perfectly. It has many stories that he has found to be very interesting and entertaining. I would highly recommend this book.