I have to say that Linda Graves has produced a simply stunningly set of images for Jane Yolen's retelling of this classic Norse tale. They are just gorgeous, with a rich palette, and definite fairytale vibe. And I mention this aspect first of the book first, because her work takes this book from being so-so to something special.

The story itself it known by other titles. Yolen has chosen a simple, more easily remembered name, and has also changed the main character from a man to a golden-haired girl to be more kid-friendly.

The book begins when the little girl, Halva, finds a bear cub. She waits, and when mother bear doesn't show up, she takes the cub home. Eventually the bear becomes a 'full' member of the family and they call her Sister Bear. And the action really gets going when Halva decides to take Sister Bear to see the King of Denmark. On the way she asks for shelter from a fairly well off home owner --a jarl, I would think. But to her surprise, she's told that though it is Christmas Eve, everyone is leaving because of the trolls.

Apparently trolls know a good thing, you see, because every Christmas Eve they come down from the hills, eat the jarl's food and trash the place with their partying. Halva hears the man, but decides to stay --alone with her bear.

I won't say more, except that everything works out well for the humans and bears; and that obviously it's a good thing to be kind when you have the opportunity.

SISTER BEAR is not the most fantastic of folktales, but it is well told by Yolen, and beautifully illustrated.

Worth a read.

Pam
(sample pages and more, on site)
( )

Based upon a Norwegian folktale collected in Asbjørnsen and Moe's Norske Folkeeventyr, entitled Kjetta på Dovre ("The Cat on the Dovrefell"), Jane Yolen's Sister Bear is the story of a girl, her bear companion, and the Christmas Eve they spend, en route to the King of Denmark, in a farmhouse afflicted with trolls. Having raised Sister Bear since she was a tiny cub, Halva decides that she should be shown to the Danish king, said to value marvels, as she is so well-trained. Their Christmas Eve stopover at the farmhouse of a man named Gusterson results in the ejection of a band of noxious trolls who have plagued the house every holiday season, and the forming of a new friendship for Halva, Sister Bear, and Halva's parents.

I cannot say that Yolen's retelling of this tale - which can also be found, in various forms, in such books as Jan Brett's Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve? and Tomie dePaola's The Cat on the Dovrefell - particularly impressed me. I found the narrative rather lackluster, and wasn't sure why it was necessary to make the protagonist a girl, rather than a man or boy, as in the original. It's not as if the story collection from which this comes is lacking in girls going on heroic journeys - East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon, anyone? - and I couldn't see that having a female protagonist added in any way to the meaning of the story, making the change feel intrusive. I was also a little surprised to see that Yolen claimed, in her brief forward, that Asbjørnsen and Moe's collection was translated in English by Sir George Webbe Dasent in 1888, when of course it was first translated in 1869. Perhaps she was referring to a later translation, of the fuller collection? In any case, that should have been made clear.

The artwork here, done in pastel, colored pencil and watercolor by Linda Graves, reminded me of the work of Jan Brett, which is rather ironic, since Brett has herself done a retelling of this tale. It was pretty, but not compelling enough to lift this above the average, when it came to my reading enjoyment. A book that young folklore and fairy-tale readers will enjoy, Sister Bear is a title I am glad to have read, given my interest in folktales, but I cannot say that it is an outstanding contribution to the genre. ( )

Sister Bear: A Norse Tale adapted by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Linda Graves

I've been excited about this title ever since I first heard about it last spring! Full disclosure: I am fascinated with Scandinavian folklore and fairy stories and especially those tales with bears.

Interestingly, Jan Brett also has a version of this tale, Who's that knocking on Christmas Eve? published in 2002 by Putnam, but Yolen takes a very different approach to the story.

The basic story (the title I'm most familiar with is The Cat on the Dovrefell)...every year a pack of trolls make trouble on Christmas Eve, eating up all the family's good things. One year, a traveler with a bear stops by and with his help the trolls are frightened away.

Yolen's retelling focuses on the bear and its owner, a girl named Halva in this story. She raises the bear from a cub and it becomes tame, learning to dance, wear clothes, and hunt for the family until they call it "Sister Bear". Halva and her bear decide to go and see the king of Denmark and set out in the snow. On Christmas Eve, they stop at the Dovrefell and ask to spend the night in a cottage - but the man, Gusterson, says he and his family have to leave every Christmas Eve because of the pack of trolls who take over the house. Halva refuses to leave and she and Sister Bear settle down for the night in the cozy cottage...until along came the pack of trolls! They eat all the food and make a big mess, but then they start teasing Sister Bear, thinking she's a cat. The trolls are chased out, Halva cleans house, and the family invites her to come back every year! With one last warning to the trolls, Halva and Sister Bear finish their journey to the king, where they are a great success, and every year afterwards they spend Christmas with the Gustersons.

Yolen's lyrical writing captures the sparkling flavor of the Scandinavian tale, with the characters' brisk chatter, clever tricks, and the stupid but dangerous trolls. The retelling hits all the major points of the original story while still being a good length for a read-aloud with younger children.

Linda Graves' illustrations are the perfect fit, with elaborately patterned clothes, glowing firesides and shining snowy landscapes, and a horde of tattooed and terrifying trolls.

Yolen includes an author's note detailing the tale's origins and some of the changes she's made to the story, along with sources and references.

Verdict: Add this one to your fairy tale collection and to your winter storytelling repertoire. A few sound effects make it an alternatively creepy and funny story for older listeners, while preschool children will appreciate a straight read-aloud with the swinging cadence of the text carrying them through the longer story. Highly recommended.

ISBN: 9780781459583; Published November 2011 by Marshall Cavendish; Review copy provided by publisher through Raab Associates