(2) 4-6 Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. In this final book in the quartet, Alek (formerly Doup) embarks on a journey with plenty of intrigue, including a shipwreck, a murder, and an exotic girl who survives the wreck. Even fans will have trouble keeping the expanding "family" straight, but it hardly matters when the imagery is so precise and eloquent that each line of text reads like poetry.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2012

(2) 4-6 Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. Tink (The Crow-Girl, Eidi) believes it's his fault that the family is barely making it through the winter on a dwindling supply of potatoes. Then Burd, a drunkard he rescues, teaches him to fish, and the bounty sustains them all. Once again Bredsdorff fully immerses readers in her achingly beautiful evocation of the rugged coastal Denmark setting.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2011

(2) PS Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. Illustrated by Olof Landström. Benny (Benny's Had Enough!, Benny and the Binky) totes his brother to the mudhole where, inevitably, little brother is pushed in. Comically, Benny reacts by flinging himself in so he can be rescued and comforted, too. With a palette as suitably earthy as the sticks and potatoes that constitute Benny's favorite toys, Landström's cartoons revel in the pig brothers' free-spirited joy.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2008

(3) K-3 Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. Mini Mia (nicknamed after the soccer star) loves spending time with her unconventional uncle, but when his boyfriend Fergus shows up, Mia is jealous: "He looks boring. And his pants are ugly." Grudging acceptance comes (in an abrupt ending) when Mia discovers that Fergus also enjoys soccer. Her frustration, depicted in bright, angular watercolor and ink illustrations, is realistically childlike.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) K-3 Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. One morning, stress turns Owen's mom into a fire-breathing, bug-eating dragon. She's still a loving mother, but she's forgotten how to be human--so the two tour the town (zoo and all) to hilarious effect. The chaotic, deadpan humor strikes the right note between absurdity and comfort, while muted, simply composed watercolors convey onlookers' subtle reactions and Owen's determined affection.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(2) PS Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. First published (in Sweden) in 1972, these welcome imports attest that preschoolers are much the same whatever the decade. In Good Night, an ever-smiling, pipe-smoking cartoon dad patiently indulges his wide-awake son's stall tactics. In Tricky, Daddy attempts to read the newspaper and mind Alfie at the same time. The colorful mixed-media artwork exudes a homey, vaguely retro charm. Reviews covers these titles: Good Night, Alfie Atkins and Very Tricky, Alfie Atkins.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2005

(2) PS Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. First published (in Sweden) in 1972, these welcome imports attest that preschoolers are much the same whatever the decade. In Good Night, an ever-smiling, pipe-smoking cartoon dad patiently indulges his wide-awake son's stall tactics. In Tricky, Daddy attempts to read the newspaper and mind Alfie at the same time. The colorful mixed-media artwork exudes a homey, vaguely retro charm. Reviews covers these titles: Good Night, Alfie Atkins and Very Tricky, Alfie Atkins.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2005

(1) K-3 Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. Despite Grandma's warnings, young pig Molly (Molly Goes Shopping) keeps crashing into things on her bike. When she crashes into a driving instructor, he sees Molly's problem: she's staring at what she's trying to avoid, instead of looking ahead. Eriksson's colored-pencil drawings skillfully express Molly's emotions through her elastic-limbed body language and, particularly, through her eyes.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2005

(4) K-3 Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. Illustrated by Sara Gimbergsson. Rabbit, who is "tired, but not VERY tired," keeps zooming his toy cars and ignoring his parents' commands to pack it in. Attentive, cartoonish art follows the familiar domestic drama to its comical conclusion, with Rabbit asleep behind the couch and his freshly awoken little sister ready for action. Only some awkward writing--e.g., the use of "Rabbit" and "the rabbit"--mars the story.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(2) K-3 Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. Molly the pig walks to the store by herself, but once there, she gets a bit flustered and misremembers the order. Within this charming middle-class animal neighborhood, rendered in grainy colored pencils, Eriksson imbues her precocious piglet with a range of recognizable emotions and behaviors. In the end, the milestone of a first solo outing is successfully met, thanks to Grandma's encouragement and Molly's youthful enthusiasm.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2003

(3) K-3 Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. Illustrated by Pija Lindenbaum. In reward for helping an "odd little old man," Britta is given a seed that grows into a doll in her garden. The doll, who talks and eats and is named Mirabelle, is "pretty wild," but together the two have lots of fun. Lindgren's narration is as straightforward and direct as a conversation, and the appealing childlike illustrations employ slightly off-kilter perspectives and effective color choices.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) K-3 Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. Illustrated by Eva Eriksson. In this quirky, unmistakably European book, Julia is in the courtyard of her dreary apartment complex with a baby carriage, looking for a pet to put in it. Lindgren strikes a tone of an adult observer, recounting Julia's playtime with understanding of the child's hilariously egocentric point of view. Eriksson's drawings on warm brown paper capture both the bleakness and coziness of Julia's surroundings, and Julia herself bristles with energy and purpose.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2003

(2) K-3 Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. Illustrated by Mati Lepp. Stefan decides that if he can't be at Grandma's house in Sweden, eating her pancakes, her pancakes will have to come to Jordan where his family has moved. Stefan, his family, and one helpful stranger come up with a series of creative steps to insure the safety of this unusual cargo. The story, illustrated with friendly, knobby art, has a wonderfully low-key way of depicting Western European and Middle Eastern cultures coming together.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2003

(4) PS Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. Illustrated by Hans Arnold. The story of Barbara and her imaginary twin sister Lalla-Lee was published in Sweden in 1949 with Arnold's illustrations added in 1973, and is now newly translated into English. The twins have wonderfully childlike adventures that include eating all the caramels they want, owning matching poodles, and riding their swift horses. Arnold's elaborate illustrations, although a bit dated, suit the fanciful story.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(1) PS Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. Illustrated by Olof Landstrom. The young pig from Benny's Had Enough wants a brother. "And then he got one." Benny tires of the baby's screaming, and he isn't even allowed to try the baby's pacifier. While Mama's busy, he stashes the baby by the front door and takes off with binky in mouth. Lindgren sketches character, story, and mood with a few succinct phrases. The illustrations expand the slightly absurd narrative with great expression, movement, and detail.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2002

(3) 1-3 Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. Illustrated by Gunilla Kvarnstrom. After an initial bout of Grandpa-loves-you-more jealousy when his younger cousin Linnea arrives, Jacob enlists her to help him play matchmaker for their grandfather, so he won't be lonely between his grandchildren's visits. The charmingly offbeat Swedish story finds expression in easygoing illustrations that showcase the characters' affection for one another.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(4) PS Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. Hedgehog is so busy cooking and cleaning, she has no time for the friends who come visiting. Finally, she reveals the secret reason for her preparations: she has a new baby, and she wants everyone to help celebrate. The rhyming text is often clumsy and strained; however, the delicately colored illustrations, which hint at the unusual surprise, are easy on the eye.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) PS Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. At the beginning of this counting book, Hedgehog is by herself, "feeling very lonely." One by one, nine friends, including a teddy bear, a frog, and a toddler, join her, and they all have tea. The rhyming text is sometimes awkward and forced, though Anderson's softly colored artwork ably depicts the crowd of creatures at the table.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. Illustrated by Eva Eriksson. In this odd Swedish import, Andrei leaves the orphanage to search for his mother, whose disappearance hasn't been explained to him. When he finally finds her in an idyllic garden, the reader is left to work out the meaning of his discovery: Isn't she dead? Is this Andrei's fantasy? The unanswered questions are troubling; however, the delicate, unsentimental illustrations will appeal to this book's limited audience.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. Illustrated by Ingrid Nyman. This picture book, first published in Sweden in 1947, is translated into English for the first time. The several short episodes (Pippi the "thing-finder," Pippi at the circus, Pippi's birthday party) don't add up to a complete story; the cartoony illustrations in vivid colors look dated--but neither will bother young listeners, who will enjoy this innocuous introduction to a beloved character.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth