G. W. Dasent (1817–1896)

A white bear seeks and wins the companionship of a young girl in this gorgeous retelling of a Norwegian folktale, and they go to live together in his opulent palace inside a mountain. But when the girl is allowed to visit the family she left behind, and is advised by her mother to secretly spy upon her ursine husband, who visits her every night in human form, her actions lead to disaster. Now caught in his ogreish step-mother's spell, the bear departs for her castle east o' the sun and west show more o' the moon, leaving the girl to follow after him. Aided by three old crones and by the four winds, the girl eventually finds her love... but can she save him from the spell?

Recorded by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in their 1844 collection of Norwegian folklore, this tale was first translated into English in 1859 by Sir George Webbe Dasent, as part of his Popular Tales from the Norse, and it is that translation which is used here, in this picture book presentation from Candlewick Press. The story is accompanied by the breathtakingly beautiful watercolor artwork of Irish illustrator P.J. Lynch, and is introduced by British children's literature scholar Naomi Lewis. Although I have read this tale in many collections, and seen it presented elsewhere in picture book form (see Gillian Barlow's version, for instance), this version of East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon remains my absolute favorite! The story is enchanting (of course!), and the illustrations astonishingly lovely. Recommended to all folk and fairy-tale lovers, as well as to fellow fans of P.J. Lynch's work. show less

In this Christmas folktale from Norway - originally entitled Kjetta på Dovre, it was collected by Asbjørnsen and Moe, in their classic Norske Folkeeventyr - a man and his bear (chiefly the bear) drive a troupe of trolls out of the home of Halvor the cottager one Christmas Eve night. Stopping for shelter, on their journey to the King of Denmark - the man intending to give the bear to the king - they are warned about the trolls that descend upon the house every Christmas, but choose to stay show more regardless. When one of the ill-mannered invaders mistakes the bear for a pussy-cat, he gets the surprise of his life, setting off a chain of misunderstandings that eventually frees Halvor from his yearly visitors...

I was pleased to see this traditional retelling of this folktale, after having only a lukewarm response to Jane Yolen's recent revisionist adaptation, Sister Bear: A Norse Tale, which changes the man in the story to a young girl, while also expanding her role. Here it is the ursine "cat" who is center stage - as it should be - and the humor of the story is more evident. As always, Tomie dePaola's stylized illustrations are a pleasure - I enjoyed looking at his trolls! I believe this story has also been retold by Jan Brett, in her Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve?, and I think I may track that title down, to contrast and compare. show less

This magical world opens with a brave young girl who follows a mysterious polar bear to his enchanted castle. When her misstep traps the bear under an evil troll’s curse, she travels over years of time by foot, by wind, and by steed to free him. A tender story, it goes past the fairy-tale love at first sight to show the maturity that patience and endurance bring. In a culture that uses hardship as an excuse to skip out, East O’ the Sun & West O’ the Moon contrasts with a heroine who show more endures much, fighting for the preservation of a union that is dear to her. This melodic tale, easily the most told and retold of Norwegian lore, echoes themes from the Greek myth Eros and Psyche, and may bring to mind C.S. Lewis’s Narnia and George MacDonald’s At the Back of the North Wind. Asbjornsen and Moe authored the first written version of this tale, among many others, in the Norwegian tongue. Translations of the text do not vary much, but I chose this version for the wintry warmth of P.J Lynch’s illustrations.

Read the full review at Book On a Crag show less

The tale itself is pretty classic, but what really makes this telling of that old tale is the gorgeous illustrations, and the details the artist uses to lavishly envision the various scenes through the book.