The Horn Book Guide

YOUNGER FICTION

Stark, Ulf

The Yule Tomte and the Little Rabbits: A Christmas Story for Advent

101 pp. | Floris | October, 2014 | Trade ISBN 978-1-78250-136-7 $24.95

(2) 1-3 Translated by Susan Beard. Illustrated by Eva Eriksson. "In Swedish tradition it is a tomte...who brings Christmas presents to children," according to the brief note that begins this entertaining Advent book. Our tomte is named Grump, and the tidy, precise illustrations show a little gnomelike man with a white beard, a red hat, and a perma-scowl. It's an old-fashioned story, but one that doesn't feel dated or sentimental.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014