Tor Åge Bringsværd (1939–2025)

Riley, the little girl whose experiences getting up were chronicled in When Two Get Up, and whose going-to-bed routine is depicted in When Two Say Goodnight, here explores what it is like when two people get angry at one another. As she and her mother have an argument, the narrative imagines what various creatures and objects, from elephants to balloons, would do when angry. Eventually the narrative returns to Riley and Mommy, showing them making up...

Originally published in Norwegian as show more Når to er sinte på hverandre, this picture-book about anger is one of a number of titles from author Tor Åge Bringsværd and illustrator Tina Soli's "When Two..." series. Of the three I have read - the three to be translated into English thus far - this is my favorite. Like the others, it is entertaining and imaginative, but it also has more emotional significance, no doubt owing to the theme. I appreciated the lighthearted handling of the subject of anger, something most young children struggle to control, and thought the observation that when we are angry "we almost don't know what we are saying," was well made. The narrative encourages children in handling their anger in less hurtful ways, but doesn't stigmatize them when they fail to do so. The artwork is colorful and cute, and Soli continues to use colorful fonts in interesting ways. Recommended to anyone looking for stories about anger for the picture-book set. show less

Little Troll questions the prohibition on trolls going out in the sunshine in this Norwegian picture-book from author Tor Åge Bringsværd and illustrator Ingerlise Karlsen Kongsgaard. Joined by three animal friends - a moose calf, a bear cub, and a little fox - he journeys far and wide, asking a series of troll elders why their kind cannot go out during the daytime. None can give him an explanation, replying that it is simply how things have always been, something Little Troll finds deeply show more unfair. When he finally finds someone with an answer - an ancient troll so slow-moving that he is mistaken for a hill - Little Troll isn't sure what to think. Can it be true that it was only in ancient times, when trolls were Hoarfrost Gnomes and Ice Giants, that sunshine was harmful to them? Kinder and gentler now, can trolls truly go out into the daylight? Little Troll finds out when one of his animal friends is in danger, and he must come to the rescue...

Originally published in Norwegian as Lilletrollet, The Little Troll was translated into English and published by the Oslo-based N.W. Damm & Son. I'm not sure how widely available it was, here in the states, but I obtained a copy through inter-library loan. Appropriately enough, it came from St. Olaf College in Minnesota - an institution founded by Norwegian immigrants to the United States. No doubt they keep an extensive collection of Norwegian cultural items. In any case, I thought that this was a sweet little book, one which draws upon traditional folklore to spin an original tale. I chuckled at the reference to the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff, and found the idea behind Little Troll's quest - that sunlight is anethma to trolls - quite fascinating. One sees this idea in Tolkien as well, of course. The artwork wasn't quite to my taste - a little too cute, really - although I think it will probably have a lot of child appeal. Recommended to young folk and fairy-tale lovers, although would-be readers should be aware that this one is text-heavy, for a picture-book. show less

A little girl and her father get up together in this imaginative and lighthearted picture-book from Norway. As the two are depicted engaging in various activities, from yawning to putting their slippers on, making the bed to looking out the window, the narrative imagines what various creatures and objects might do, when they get up in the morning. When the narrative returns to the girl and her father, it describes them having breakfast, waving to Mommy as she goes off to work, and then show more cycling to school...

Originally published in Norwegian as Når to skal stå opp, this engaging getting-up story is one of a number of picture-books from author Tor Åge Bringsværd and illustrator Tina Soli in the "When Two..." series. I don't know that every getting-up scenario here made a great impression on me, but overall the simple text struck me as entertaining and imaginative. The artwork is colorful and cute, with a cartoonish style that isn't a personal favorite, but which works well with the story. I liked that the text was printed in various colors as well, as this fit the aesthetic of the book. Although I wouldn't describe When Two Get Up as particularly impressive, I was glad to read it, both because I'm interested in translated children's literature, and because getting-up stories are so much more uncommon than going-to-bed tales. I think I will track down the other two in the series that have been translated, When Two Say Goodnight and When Two Are Angry at Each Other. show less

Riley, the little girl whose getting-up routine with her father is chronicled in When Two Get Up, here engages in a bedtime game of make-believe with her mother. As the two engage in their nightly rituals in the artwork, the text imagines how various animals and objects, from giraffes to washcloths, would behave when saying goodnight. Then the narrative turns to Riley and Mommy saying goodnight , with a hug and a tucking in, and concludes with the idea that perhaps Riley will dream about show more butterflies saying goodnight...

Originally published in Norwegian as Når to sier godnatt, this colorful picture-book is one of a number of titles in author Tor Åge Bringsværd and illustrator Tina Soli's "When Two..." series. It features a young girl and her imaginative games, as she goes about one of her daily activities. Like When Two Get Up, the other book in the series that I have read, I found When Two Say Goodnight entertaining and imaginative. These books aren't going to become personal favorites - they're pleasant, but not memorable - although I'm glad to have read them, given my interest in translated children's literature. The artwork, although not exactly to my taste, is colorful and cute, and well-suited to the story, and I appreciate the use of colorful fonts. Recommended to readers looking for lighthearted bedtime fare for the picture-book set. show less