Lise Lunge-Larsen

Author Lise Lunge-Larsen and illustrator Gareth Hinds join forces for an educational and entertaining look at the etymological influence of Classical mythology in this wonderful collection. Each selection begins with a word or term, from Achilles Heel to Janitor, which is defined and used in a quotation from literature on the first page, then followed by the retelling of the Greek or Roman myth that inspired the word. Further words and terms derived from the myth are given on the final page show more of each section. The myths and words highlighted here include:

Achilles Heel and the story of Achilles and his eventual fate in the Trojan War.

Arachnid and the story of Arachne and her transformation into a spider at Athena's hand. Additional word: arachnophobia.

Echo and the story of the nymph Echo and the vain Narcissus. Additional words: narcissists and narcissism.

Fate and the story of the Three Fates: Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos. Additional words: stamina and stamen, as well as mortal, mortality and immortal from the Roman equivalent of Atropos, Morta.

Fortune and the story of Fortuna, the goddess of luck. Additional word: cornucopia, from the horn of plenty carried by Fortuna.

Fury and the story of the Furies, who punished wrongdoers. Additional words: infuriate, furious and furor.

Genius and the Roman belief in a personal spirit called a Genius. Additional word: demon, from the Greek word for Genius, Daemon.

Grace, and the story of the Three Graces. This word descends to us through Old French. Additional words: graceful and gracious. The Latin Gratia gives us grateful and gratitude.

Hypnotize and the story of Hypnos, the god of sleep. Additional words: hypnosis and insomnia from the Roman equivalent, Somnus.

Janitor and the story of the Roman god Janus. Additional word: January.

Muse and the story of the nine Muses. Additional words: museums, music and musical.

Nemesis and the story of Nemesis, the goddess of Justice, and how she punished King Croesus. Additional phrase: rich as Croesus.

Pandora's Box, and the story of Pandora, the first woman. Additional words: volcano, from the god Vulcan, the Roman equivalent of Hephaestus, who made Pandora.

Panic and the story of the god Pan and the fright he would give travelers. Additional word: pan flute.

Siren and the story of the Sirens and their envy of the Muses. Additional words: siren (when referring to a woman) and siren song.

Tantalize and the story of Tantalus and his punishment. Additional words: hubris, the Greek word for the pride of which Tantalus was guilty.

Victory and the story of the goddess Victory and her involvement in battles.

Following upon these myths and etymological explanations, Gifts from the Gods: Ancient Words and Wisdom from Greek and Roman Mythology closes with an author's note, a list of Greek and Roman gods, a bibliography, list of web sources, artist's note, and index.

The seventh book I have read from Lunge-Larsen and the first from Hinds, this was simply a marvelous collection! I have read many children's retellings of Classical mythology, and have my own favorites, when it comes to the actual storytelling—the best in my opinion being D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths—but this is the first such collection I have encountered where the focus is on the treasure of words and phrases we have inherited from these stories. The stories here are well told, but what sets the book apart if this added dimension! The accompanying artwork from Hinds is engaging, done in a graphic novel style, which is unsurprising, given that is his background. Highly recommended to all young word hounds and mythology enthusiasts! show less

Norwegian American author Lise Lunge-Larsen joins forces with illustrator Mary Azarian in this picture book retelling of an incident from the Old Norse saga of Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar, which tells the life story of the thirteenth-century King Haakon IV of Norway. With his father dead and the Baglers—greedy and powerful nobles—determined to destroy him, the baby prince Hakon is brought by his mother, Inga of Varteig, and the priest Sira Trond to a group of Birkebeiners—loyal show more warriors and kings men, so named because of the birchbark armor they wore on their legs. Determined to protect the baby, these men set out from Lillehammer with mother, baby and priest, skiing through the mountains and through treacherous storms to eventually bring them safe to Nidaros (modern-day Trondheim). Even then, however, the prince is not safe, with his mother Inga having to undergo a terrible trial to prove that he is truly the son of the former King Haakon III...

The Race of the Birkebeiners is the sixth book I have read from Lunge-Larsen, whose work generally focuses on the retelling of traditional folktales. Here we have a folk legend and an important tale from Norwegian history, one that is still remembered today, and commemorated in Norway with the annual Birkebeinerrennet (Birkebeiner race), a long-distance cross-country skiing race starting at Rena and ending at Lillehammer. There is also the American Birkebeiner, started in 1973, which is a similar race between the towns of Cable and Hayward in Wisconsin, and the Canadian Birkebeiner, which was started in 1985, and which occurs in the province of Alberta. In any case, the story here is engrossing, with fascinating historical detail and emotionally resonant scenes. I had to blink back tears in the scene in which Inga must hand over her infant child to two strange men. The author's prose is understated, but perfectly captures the character's reluctance to part with her beloved child, whom she may never see again, and her eventual realization that she must give him away in order to save him. Such a scene calls to mind the story of Moses in the bullrushes, and is immensely powerful. As gripping as the story is, the accompanying woodcut artwork from Azarian is equally compelling. Beautiful and powerful, with a wonderful folk art sensibility that perfectly matches the story, it greatly increased my reading pleasure. All in all, a wonderful book, one I would recommend to those seeking picture books with a Norwegian cultural and historical background. show less

Nine troll stories from traditional Norwegian folklore are retold in this gorgeous collection from author Lise Lunge-Larson and illustrator Betsy Bowen. Here are well-known selections such as The Three Billy Goats Gruff, in which three caprine siblings outwit the troll living under the bridge they must cross to get to their summer pastures, and The White Cat in the Dovre Mountains, in which a man and his bear free a household from a troll infestation one Christmas Eve. In The Boy Who Became show more a Lion, a Falcon and an Ant, a young boy out to make his fortune is rewarded for his kindness to various animals he meets along his journey by the ability to take their shape—a gift which comes in handy when he must fight dragons and outwit trolls. Butterball sees a chubby young boy who, although silly enough to keep falling into a troll hag's trap, manages to keep getting himself out of it; while The Handshake follows the adventures of a man who unknowingly visits some trolls in an enchanted world, and with the help of some cheese, comes away with his hand intact.

The Boy and the North Wind relates how a young boy named Per is given three magical gifts by the North Wind, only to lose the first two—a cloth which provides food and a ram which supplies money—to a troll hag in whose house he stays, using the third magical gift to win back his stolen treasures. The Sailors and the Troll demonstrates that trolls are not to be trusted, even if they come from your home region, and are met in far-off places like Greenland, while in The Eating Competition, a young boy outwits a local forest troll, tricking him into stabbing himself. Finally, in the eponymous The Troll with No Heart in His Body, the youngest of seven princes must save his elder brothers and their brides, as well as a captive princess, from a troll who keeps his heart separate from his body, in a special hiding place.

A marvelous, marvelous book, The Troll With No Heart in His Body and Other Tales of Trolls from Norway has everything I look for in a folktale collection: fascinating stories that entertain and enthrall, a storyteller who documents source material and specifies how she had modified each tale, a thoughtful introduction situating the tales in their cultural milieu, and gorgeous artwork. In sum: a triumph! Born and raised in Norway, author Lise Lunge-Larson married an American and moved to the states, where she became a storyteller, relating these tales to the children in schools near her Minnesota home. She teamed up with Minnesota illustrator Betsy Bowen, herself of Norwegian extraction, to present some of her own favorites from childhood—stories which she heard from her parents, and which can all be found in that masterful collection of Norwegian folklore from Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. I was familiar with a number of these tales, and have run across a number of picture book retellings of both The Three Billy Goats Gruff and The White Cat in the Dovre Mountains, but other stories were either unfamiliar, or only partially familiar, with element I knew but others I didn't. In any case, I enjoyed all of them, I enjoyed the supplemental discussion of them, and I enjoyed the accompanying woodcut illustrations. Highly recommended to all folklore enthusiasts, particularly those interested in Norwegian folklore specifically, and in troll tales. show less

The weaknesses of trolls are explored in this wonderful collection of folk and fairy-tales about these creatures from Norwegian American author Lise Lunge-Larsen and Minnesota-based artist Kari Vick. Describing how the Old Norse believed that the world itself was made from the body of Ymir, the very first troll, the author goes on to state in her introduction that while fierce and strong, these beings were rather dim, and could be outwitted by clever children. The seven stories which follow show more each illustration a different weakness and how it can be exploited. Selections include:

Little Goose, illustrating the first weakness, that "trolls hate loud noise, especially the sound of bells." This story is a rewrite of the Japanese folktale The Terrible Black Snake's Revenge, found in Yoshiko Uchida's The Sea of Gold and Other Tales from Japan, and follows the adventures of a little girl who tricks a troll into believing she is a goose, and thereby learns his vulnerability to noise. She uses this knowledge to help her village rid itself of the troll, and gains a sack of gold into the bargain!

The Ashlad Who Stole the Troll's Treasures, illustrating the second weakness, that "trolls burst if they get too mad." This is a retelling of the traditional Norwegian tale Askeladden Som Stjal Sølvendene til Trollet, from those classic folktale collectors Asbjørnsen and Moe, and follows the good-hearted youngest brother of three, Espen Ashlad, as he regains three treasures stolen from his king by the troll over the lake, making said troll so angry in the process that he explodes.

The Hen Is Tripping in the Mountain, illustrating the third weakness, that "sunlight turns trolls to stone." This is a retelling of another Asbjørnsen and Moe tale, Høna Som Tripper i Berget, and relates how the three daughters of a widow each seek their family's stolen hen in a nearby troll's cave, with the youngest, Guri, being the one who triumphs and saves her elders, while tricking her would-be troll captor into exposing himself to sunlight.

The Boys Who Met the Trolls in the Woods, illustrating the fourth weakness, that "reflected sunshine turns trolls to stone." This is a retelling of Asbjørnsen and Moe's Guttene Som Møtte Trollet i Heddal Skogen, and tells how two brothers meet a party of trolls in the forest, and stealing the single eye they have between them, demand treasure in exchange for its return. Having achieved their end, they toss the eye high into the sky, where its exposure to the sun reflects light onto the trolls, thereby destroying them.

A Narrow Escape, illustrating the fifth weakness, that "trolls are easily distracted." This is an abridged retelling of Alfred Smedberg's short story, Trollen och Tomte Pojken (The Trolls and the Gnome Boy), originally published in 1909 in the Swedish Christmas magazine, Bland Tomtar och Troll (Among Gnomes and Trolls). It follows a young gnome named Nils, who sneaks into some trolls' mountain cave on Christmas Eve, in order to steal a present for his mother, using his quick wits to escape through an underground stream, when their attention is elsewhere.

The Troll Who Played Hide-and-Go-Seek, illustrating the sixth weakness, that "trolls cannot swim." This is a Danish folktales taken from Ruth Manning-Sanders' A Book of Ogres and Trolls, where it is known as Nils in the Forest, and follows a young woodcutter who generously shares his lunch with a dwarf, who kindly repays his debt by helping the boy to hide three times, while he is being sought by a troll. Eventually, in his third hiding place inside a fish, Nils lures the troll onto the lake, and tips his canoe over, thereby drowning him.

And finally, Tor Out-Skis the Trolls illustrating the seventh weakness, that "trolls are heavy and clumsy." This is based on the Norwegian folktale Trolls Resent a Disturbance, found in Reidar Christiansen's Folktales of Norway, and tells how a young boy name Tor escapes the trolls pursuing him on his skis, eventually luring them to the center of a frozen lake, where they break through the ice and are drowned.

I enjoyed every story in Seven Ways to Trick a Troll, and I enjoyed the accompanying artwork from illustrator Kari Vick as well! This is the eighth book from Lise Lunge-Larsen I have read, and I am sorry to say that there are no more at present—something I certainly hope will change, going forward. I liked the way in which this book was formatted, and how each tale was meant to illustrate a particular weakness of trolls, and I greatly appreciated the notes at the end of the book, giving source material for each story. This is a every entertaining book, and I think young people will enjoy it, particularly as it illustrates how by using their smarts, and by being brave and true, they can outwit foes far larger than themselves. Like many books I have been reading recently, it was published by the University of Minnesota Press, which seems to have an outstanding children's catalog! Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, particularly those who enjoy troll tales. It could be paired with Lunge-Larsen's own The Troll With No Heart in His Body and Other Tales of Trolls from Norway, or with titles like D'Aulaires' Trolls. show less