Trolls, Northern Lights, and a Polar Bear who is Definitely Not a Kitty

Last year when I went to see Jan Brett read at our local Border’s, Who’s That Knocking on Christmas Eve was the book that she read from. As we waited in line to get our books signed, we were given a small booklet explaining some of the history behind this latest book in Brett’s catalog of books. While this book is based on an old Norwegian folk tale, Brett incorporates into it the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, which fascinated her when she saw it several years ago. The booklet also contains information on the geography, customs, and clothes found in Finland; the trolls wear fashions from 500 years ago, while the children wear more modern clothes. Also included is a brief note about the model for the polar bear in the story, which can be seen at the Brookfield Zoo outside Chicago.

The most immediately apparent feature of this book is that it is much larger than a typical children’s book. For example, I bought hardcover editions of both this and The Hat at the book signing, and while the two are essentially the same width (as a matter of fact, The Hat is very slightly wider), this book is taller by 2 ? inches. This leaves plenty of space for the expansive illustrations, as well as the text, which is a pretty important part of this book.

A boy from Finnmark is making his way towards Oslo with his “ice bear,” a large polar bear. During his journey, he comes upon a cozy home where a young girl, Kyri, is preparing Christmas dinner in her father’s absence. He is off patrolling the mountain to keep away the trolls who are fond of stealing their holiday feast. Kyri invites the boy and the bear in, and the trolls decide to drop by for dinner. As much as they try, the children cannot keep the trolls from nabbing their dinner, but their luck changes when the trolls discover the bear, whom they mistake for a “kitty”...

Each illustration is framed by a window on either side set in an ornate wooden design. Along the bottom of each page, the text rests on a snow bank, with large snowflakes settled in the corners of the page. Each of the windows depicts something that is currently happening, either with one or both of the children, the bear, the trolls, or Kyri’s father. The top of the page features the night sky, in which the Aurora Borealis is stretched out and surrounded by troll constellations. The trolls are entertaining fellows, full of mischief but, as Brett said, really not evil creatures. They are more like silly children who are misbehaving. Their prominent features include their outlandishly out of date dress, bulbous noses, pointy ears, and spiky hair.

One nice thing about this book is the detail with which Kyri’s home is rendered, providing a nice glimpse of Norwegian culture. As in The Hat and Annie and the Wild Animals, these are two very self-sufficient children. Kyri does live with her father, but she does all the cooking and is able to care for the house on her own for a little while. It’s interesting that nearly all of Brett’s books which I have read take place in winter. She certainly does a good job of presenting a frosty winter’s night. This Christmastime folktale is a perfect one to curl up with and enjoy by the fireplace.