Linda Allen

When his six elder brothers fail to return from their quest to find brides, young prince Ashiepattle sets out after them. Aiding a raven, a salmon, and a wolf along his journey, Ashiepattle eventually comes to the castle of a giant with no heart, where he finds his brothers transformed into stone statues. With the help of a princess imprisoned by the giant, as well as the creatures he encountered on his travels, Ashiepattle discovers the giant's hidden heart, defeats him, and frees his show more brothers, winning his own bride in the process...

An adaptation of a Norwegian folktale from the collection of Asbjørnsen and Moe, The Giant Who Had No Heart reminded me in parts of tales like The Good-Hearted Youngest Brother, in which a hunter spares a succession of creatures who later reward him, or The Wizard Punchkin, in which a prince battles a wizard who has stored his soul outside of his body. It is quite entertaining to pick out these sorts of folk-parallels, but unfortunately, that is one of the only pleasures afforded by this picture-book.

Linda Allen's narrative is rather flat, with almost no sense of adventure or excitement. The gorier details of the original, like Ashiepattle feeding his horse to the starving wolf, have been omitted. The illustrations, which draw upon the traditional folk-motifs of Allen's Swedish background, are uninspiring. All the characters look exactly alike: the same stiff postures, the same faces, even the same hair! In sum, this reads like a watered down version of a better story. Why not just read Asbjørnsen and Moe, and have done with it? show less

A nicely illustrated gift book that briefly recounts some of the folklore behind mistletoe, holly, poinsettia and other Christmas plants. It also covers the symbolism associated with Christmas trees and wreathes and the origin of Christmas treats such as the candy cane. A great introduction to the topic in bite-sized chunks and fun to have out for perusing during the Christmas season.

A young boy obsessed with the idea of becoming a spy becomes convinced a mysterious new neighbor has something to hide.

Appalled that Grandfather left his inheritance to his parrot, the relatives seek to break the will; but young Miranda, who is caring for the parrot, makes a discovery that settles everything.