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Odd and the Frost Giants Kindle Edition

by Neil Gaiman (Author), Brett Helquist (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 2,308 ratings

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The thrilling, wintry Nordic tale by Neil Gaiman, who weaves a magical story of legend and adventure that will enchant readers from beginning to end.

Odd, a young Viking boy, is left fatherless following a raid. In his icy, ancient world there is no mercy for an unlucky soul with a crushed foot and no one to protect him. Fleeing to the woods, Odd stumbles upon and releases a trapped bear…and then Odd's destiny begins to change.

The eagle, bear, and fox Odd encounters are Norse gods, trapped in animal form by the evil frost giant who has conquered Asgard, the city of the gods. Now our hero must reclaim Thor's hammer, outwit the frost giants and release the gods…

Reading age

6 - 10 years, from customers
Print length

130 pages
Language

English
Grade level

3 - 4
Lexile measure

820L
Publisher

HarperCollins
Publication date

September 10, 2009
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Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

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Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
ISBN-13

978-0061671739
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Odd meant the tip of a blade and it was a lucky name.

In a village in ancient Norway lives a boy named Odd, and he’s had some very bad luck: His father perished in a Viking expedition; a tree fell on and shattered his leg; and the endless freezing winter is making villagers dangerously grumpy.

Now Odd is forced on a stranger journey than he had imagined—a journey to save Asgard, city of the gods, from the Frost Giants who have invaded it.

It’s going to take a very special kind of twelve-year-old boy to outwit the Frost Giants, restore peace to the city of the gods, and end the long winter.

Someone cheerful and infuriating and clever . . .

Someone just like Odd . . .

Ahead lies a thrilling, chilly, magical adventure written by Newbery and Carnegie Medal winner Neil Gaiman, with ravishing illustrations by the UK Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell.

--This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Review

A rare tale that values brains over brawn--light, bright, and handsomely tricked out. — Kirkus Reviews

--This text refers to the hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3–6—Using several figures from Norse mythology, Gaiman has written a thoughtful and quietly humorous fantasy that younger Percy Jackson fans will enjoy. Twelve-year-old Odd hasn't had a good couple of years: his father died rescuing a pony that fell overboard during a Viking raid, his leg was crippled during a tree-felling accident, and his mother married a man he dislikes. So, in the midst of what should be spring ("Winter hung in there, like an invalid refusing to die"), he sets out for a cabin in the wilderness, figuring that anything will be better than home. Soon after arriving, a fox leads him to an enormous bear whose paw is caught in a tree; a large eagle circles overhead. Odd shows kindness and bravery when helping the bear, learning afterward that these three animals are gods who have been transformed by the Frost Giant. Odd is determined to help them, and his ultimate encounter with the Frost Giant is especially interesting, tweaking the tradition of small boys getting the better of giants. Readers will also enjoy Odd's interaction with the animals, Gaiman's simple and graceful writing, and the satisfying conclusion.—Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL END --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

Neil Gaiman is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for children and adults whose award-winning titles include Norse Mythology, American Gods, The Graveyard Book, Good Omens (with Terry Pratchett), Coraline, and The Sandman graphic novels. Neil Gaiman is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR and Professor in the Arts at Bard College.

Chris Riddell is an acclaimed British artist who lives in Brighton, England. He has written and illustrated many books of his own, including Ottoline and the Yellow Cat and Ottoline Goes to School, and has illustrated, for Bloomsbury UK, The Graveyard Book; Coraline; and Fortunately, the Milk; as well as The Sleeper and the Spindle.

--This text refers to the hardcover edition.

From AudioFile

Neil Gaiman does a good bear voice. This is important in an audiobook populated with a talking bear, a talking fox, a talking eagle, a Frost Giant, Norse gods, and a Viking boy named Odd. In Gaiman's voice, the bear grumbles, the fox wheedles, the eagle screeches, and the giant booms--and occasionally reverberates. Odd mostly just takes things as they come, journeying between his world and Asgard, helping the gods, and growing up along the way. Gaiman's nods to other stories in traditional Norse mythology will appeal to young listeners who are familiar with it and intrigue those who aren't. Either way, they'll be drawn into this fun, fast-moving adventure. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001NLKZNW
Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins; Illustrated edition (September 10, 2009)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 10, 2009
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1420 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 130 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #753,991 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #52 in Children's Norse Folk Tales
- #148 in Children's Orphans & Foster Homes Books
- #206 in Children's Norse Literature

Customer Reviews:
4.6 2,308 ratings

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Neil Gaiman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including Norse Mythology, Neverwhere, and The Graveyard Book. Among his numerous literary awards are the Newbery and Carnegie medals, and the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, and Will Eisner awards. He is a Professor in the Arts at Bard College.

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Whitt Patrick Pond

A delightful new tale set in old Norse roots with an unlikely young hero

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2009

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Neil Gaiman's Odd and the Frost Giants is a delight, a new tale in an old tradition, the mythological world of the Norse gods. Though intended for young readers, older readers can enjoy it as well. It is also a tale that reminds us that heroes come in all sizes, often from the most unlikely of beginnings, and that daring and wits can be even more important than strength and agility.

A good example of how Gaiman imbues his characters with personality is shown in this scene were the boy Odd is woken by the sounds of voices in the hut where he has taken refuge along with a strange trio of animals:

"It's because of you we're in this mess."
"I thought we had a deal. I thought we weren't going to keep harping on about a trivial little mistake..."
"You call this trivial?"
And then a third voice, high and raw, screeched.
"Silence."
There was silence. Odd rolled over. There was a glow from the fire embers, enough to see the inside of the hut, enough to confirm to Odd that there were not another three people in there with him. It was just him and the fox and the bear and the eagle...
Whatever they are, thought Odd, they don't seem to eat people. He sat up, leaned against the wall. The bear and the eagle both ignored him. The fox darted him a green-eyed glance.
"You were talking," said Odd.
The animals looked at Odd and at one another. If they did not actually say "Who? Us?" it was there in their expressions, in the way they held themselves.
"_Somebody_ was talking," said Odd, "and it wasn't me. There isn't anyone else in here. That means it was you lot. And there's no point in arguing."
"We weren't arguing," said the bear. "Because we can't talk." Then it said, "Oops."
The fox and the eagle glared at the bear, who put a paw over its eyes and looked ashamed of itself.
Odd sighed. "Which one of you wants to explain what's going on?" he said.
"Nothing's going on," said the fox brightly. "Just a few talking animals. Nothing to worry about. Happens every day. We'll be out of your hair first thing in the morning."
The eagle fixed Odd with its one good eye. Then it turned to the fox. "Tell!"
The fox shifted uncomfortably. "Why me?"
"Oh," said the bear, "I don't know. Possibly because it's _all_your_fault_?"

Also, given that this story was intended to spur interest in reading, Gaiman succeeds at that as well, offering little tidbits such as this one that will entice younger readers to go beyond this story and read more:

"Old Odin left his chair, and walked towards them. He wiped the goose grease from his mouth with his sleeve, smearing even more grease all over his grey beard. He said, quietly, into Odd's ear, 'Do you know what spring it was you drank from, boy? Where the water came from? Do you know what it cost me to drink there, many years ago?'"

Gaiman leaves the questions unanswered. It is not hard to imagine any number of curious readers going on to find the answers themselves by reading the original Norse mythological tales that provided the background and setting for this new one.

All in all, a pure pleasure to read, with very nice illustrations by Brett Helquist. Highly recommended.

38 people found this helpful

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Jeremy Rodden, Author

Great middle grade intro to Norse Mythology!

Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2017

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Why I Think Boys May Enjoy This

Well, first off I must admit that I am a huge fanboy for anything Neil Gaiman. That being said, this middle grade story falls into the category of must-read primer to Norse Mythology (in addition to, you know, Gaiman’s recently published collection of Norse stories). This one, however, is written with that middle grade audience in mind and does so wonderfully. It’s rare to get a “new” Norse Myth story but Gaimain does this with Odd. He uses the familiar framework (Loki does something to screw things up for everyone else) and creates an entirely new myth around Odd.

The story itself has an Aesop’s Fables feel to it with a familiar plot: magical animals appear to our would-be hero, who helps them even at risk to his own life. Of course, the animals turn out to be gods. In a very Viking way, however, Odd is rewarded not simply for his good heart, but for his bravery and cleverness in helping the gods take back Asgard from the Frost Giant that tricked Loki. Odd’s adventure with the gods is framed around a very nice story about a young boy losing his father and dealing with a disability, yet remaining positive and determined no matter what was placed in front of him.

It would be remiss to discuss this version of the book without giving credit to the amazing illustrations by Chris Riddell. In some cases, he was given a full two-page spread to work with and he did not disappoint. With his simple black and white drawings accented in silver (which is just gorgeous and found throughout), this is one of the prettiest books I’ve held in my hands in a while. Riddell’s art amplifies Gaiman’s story in a masterful way. Visions of the Norse gods as they are presented in actual Norse myth (not the Marvel comics version) are wonderful.

Content/Appropriateness

It’s a myth story, so normal myth stuff applies: temptation by beauty, death (but nothing cruel or gruesome), and hardships for our hero followed by rewards for his performance by the gods. There is clearly no language or content concerns across the board and the only real death is an “off-screen” death of Odd’s father by illness after nearly drowning in the frozen waters of the north.

The artwork is all G-rated and there is nothing to suggest that the youngest of readers couldn’t enjoy this story. It would make a great read out-loud story with its numerous large pictures and a strong reader as young as 8 could easily pick this up and run with it on their own. It is not watered/”dumbed” down for a young audience but is still more than accessible.

Rating

4/5 Giant Cartoon Mallets from Toonopolis, The Blog's Books for Boys Review

30 people found this helpful

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sasa_moon

Dieses Duo enttäuscht mich nie!

Reviewed in Germany on August 10, 2021

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"You should care because you care about beauty. And there won't be any left. There will just be dead things." (S. 94)

Seit Jahren begeistern mich Chris Riddells Illustrationen. Zusammen mit Neil Gaiman bildet er ein unschlagbares Duo, das fantasievolle und kreative Geschichten schafft - fernab des Mainstreams. Auch diese Geschichte konnte mich wieder gut unterhalten und hat mich in ein Winterwunderland mit düsterem Twist entführt.

Das Cover: ein Traum. Nicht nur gibt es einen dreidimensionalen Effekt, es glänzt silbern und wird in Kombinationen mit den detaillierten Zeichnungen ein Blickfang.

Die Handlung: der junge Wikinger, Odd, flieht eines Tages unglücklich in den Wald. Sein Vater verstarb und von den anderen Wikingern wird er aufgrund seiner Verletzung am Fuß, die ihn humpeln lässt, ausgestoßen. Als er im Wald jedoch einen Bären aus einer misslichen Lage rettet, findet er sich in einem Abenteuer wieder, in welchem er plötzlich die Eisriesen überlisten muss.

Magisch. Bizarr. Atmosphärisch. Zusammen mit Odd und seinen Gefährten bin ich durch den eisigen Winterwald gestapft und habe mich einem Eisriesen gestellt. Einzigartige Figuren treffen auf eine recht einfach gestrickte Handlung - doch es funktioniert hervorragend. Die authentischen Charaktere hauchen der Geschichte Leben ein und lassen die Geschichte noch lange im Gedächtnis nachhallen. Zwar war es nicht ganz so überzeugend, wie "The Sleeper and the spindle", da hier teilweise minimale Längen entstanden sind, doch ansonsten kann ich es nur empfehlen.

Die Illustrationen: ich könnte stundenlang über Chris Riddells Illustrationen schwärmen, aber es soll nicht ausufern. Mit unendlich vielen Strichen erzeugt er dynamische und greifbare Welten und Wesen - ich bin wiederholt begeistert, wie echt sich alles anfühlt. Diese Illustrationen haben der Geschichte das gewisse Etwas verliehen und mich jedes Mal aufs Neue mit Vorfreude umblättern lassen.

Insgesamt vergebe ich hier 4/5 Sternen. In meinen Augen hat mir inhaltlich in der Geschichte noch etwas mehr Dynamik gefehlt, aber ich kann trotzdem eine absolute Leseempfehlung aussprechen!

"Everything went dark. Odd's eyes took moments to adjust, and when they did, above him was a velvet night sky, hung with a billion stars." (S. 60)

One person found this helpful

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Valerie Valente

Just a bit of Odd...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 13, 2015

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I have been so excited to pass along my favorite authors to my girls. When my eldest fell in love with “Fortunately the Milk”, I was eager to supply her with even more age-appropriate Neil Gaiman to read.
Having studied Vikings and a smattering of Norse Mythology in school, she was very excited to begin. Unfortunately, the ending didn’t fully satisfy her expectation. She had yearned for more frost giants, and probably more pages in general! My little one was fast becoming a discerning bibliophile, and I was quick to assure her that her opinions were always her own, and completely valid.
I quickly read through the short novel for myself to discover the source of my daughter’s disappointment. She had been really hung up on the fact that the title referred to “frost giants” in the plural, while Odd actually only deals with a single giant in the book. I was able to point out the portion of the text where Thor says to Odd that his own retelling of the story, there will be at least a dozen giants present. We spoke of legends and the tendency to exaggerate when passing on a story. I believe that this explanation satisfied my daughter, but she still felt the book was only just beginning when it quickly came to an end. I, on the other hand, was able to appreciate this literary tidbit for what it was. Sometimes a concept is best left as a short-story. We do not always have to expound upon something in order to make it great. Plus, the shorter length makes it that much more accessible to young readers.
Odd is a phenomenal hero; truly worthy of role model status. He was able to solve a problem that the gods themselves could not. He is unfailingly confident and astute, despite his physical limitations. Three cheers for Odd and whatever inspired Gaiman to bring him to life!

4 people found this helpful

Stephen Davies

An Ice Intro to Gaiman

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 5, 2014

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To anyone unfamiliar with Neil Gaimans work, his stories are often enchanting, invariably enthralling and quite often off the wall. From the marvellous American Gods through Stardust and on to Anansie Boys, you are never sure quite where he is going, but you can be certain the trip is well worth it. He has a sly humour and whether he is writing a children's book as he is here, or one of his dark graphic novels, he demands to be read.
Neil Gaiman has co-written in the past with Terry Pratchett and both authors are equally adept at writing for the family market or for adult audiences. Odd's trip to Asgaard is an enchanting tale which can appeal to both child or adult: if I had to criticise it I would say it was a little short. He tells the story and you do not once feel "this is a child's book, so I should not be reading it" Mostly you feel "Is there a sequel?

One person found this helpful

handstands

Classic Gaiman

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 5, 2013

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If you like your books about Norse myths, gods and a kid who's smarter than the average bear, this is the book for you. Originally published for World Reading Day, it doesn't feel as if it were a chore for him to write, but a pleasure. At least, it was a pleasure for me to read. It's the tale about Odd, a child who's crippled with a lame leg. Winter's here, and it shows no signs of going away, and Odd finds out that it's due to Asgardian gods (Loki, Odin the All Father and Thor) who are transformed into animals due to happenings. Odd goes with the gods to help them turn the winter back, and to make things right. The story is one of those lovely, charming things you read as a child: talking animals, lovely illustrations and a cracking plot.

Recommended.

7 people found this helpful

NODDY

Odd and the frost Giant

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 2, 2011

Verified Purchase

What a delightful book to read even as a grown up. Odd runs away after his father dies and his mum remarries. He encounters a fox, bear and eagle. With his three new found friends he embarks on a journey that takes him on adventures that result in him meeting the frost giant. I don't what to say much more about the story as it will spoil it. I recommend it for adults as well as young children either to free read or as a bed time story. Great little book for all ages worth five stars.

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