Additional Book Information
Series: NYRB Kids
ISBN: 9781590172520
Pages: 52
Publication Date: September 18, 2007
The Terrible Troll-Bird
written and illustrated by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire
One summer’s eve Ola, Lina, Sina, and Trina leave their village to gather firewood in the forest, when they’re surprised by the hideous call of the terrible troll-bird, a giant rooster who pops up out of the treetops and swoops down to devour their beloved horse Blakken. Little does the terrible troll-bird know that in Ola, Lina, Sina, and Trina he has finally met his match: his terrible days of terrorizing are over. Before long the whole village is celebrating the monster’s demise, and even the gnomes and hulder-maidens are coming out of their hiding places in the woods to participate in a great feast. All celebration is cut short, though, with the startling appearance of two monstrous moss-grown trolls even more terrible than the terrible troll-bird himself. Luckily, the children rise to the occasion once more, saving the day before they set out on a splendid new adventure.
Filled with vibrant illustrations and telling a story of childhood ingenuity and bravery, The Terrible Troll-Bird is a delightful companion to Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire’s more comprehensive books of Norwegian folklore, D’Aulaires’ Book of Norse Myths and D’Aulaires’ Book of Trolls.
Praise
The d'Aulaires have...created magical, luminous illustrations that capture the humor of this Norwegian folk tale.
— School Library Journal
Another standard from the Caldecott Award-winning d'Aulaires, The Terrible Troll-Bird (also first published in 1955), tells how a group of Norwegian villagers defeated the titular avian (effectively a huge rooster intent on stealing livestock) and its owners, a pair of nasty trolls.
— Publishers Weekly