A little elfin man named Otto goes in search of the light of Christmas in this enchanting work of Finnish fantasy fiction for younger children, setting out on an epic journey northward. Along the way he encounters a variety of creatures, from apple-stealing Badger to Kekri, king of the forest. He spends time with the gentle, mouse-like mupples, and their slow-moving, tree-like friends, the hazytales. He witnesses the last dance of the leaf fairies, as winter sets in, is helped by a massive bear, and spends time with the mysterious lontti, a secretive, chameleon-like kind of creature that can disguise itself anywhere. Booming Burl, and his village of trolls, a pack of wolves, a herd of reindeer - these too are friends that Otto makes, before eventually reaching his goal, and meeting Father Yule. But once he gets there, the question remains: what exactly is the Light of Christmas...?

Originally published in Finnish as Untu ja sydäntalven salaisuus, and translated into English by Jill Timbers for the Edinburgh-based Floris Books, Otto and the Secret Light of Christmas is an engaging, heartwarming, beautifully-illustrated fantasy journey, one which touches upon the meaning of Christmas, and the central importance of friendship and good company, during the dark winters experienced by people in the northern part of our world. I was fascinated by the different creatures that Otto encountered, from Kekri - an ancient god in Finnish tradition, Kekri more frequently refers these days to a traditional harvest festival, one occurring around Halloween-time - to the lontti, a name which seems to be a simplified version of the Finnish word 'kameleontti,' meaning chameleon. I appreciated the fact that the eponymous Light of Christmas turned out to be both the friendships Otto had found, and the beautiful Northern Lights, and I loved the fact that Father Yule either transformed into a fox, or was represented by a fox, at the end (not sure which it was). Recommended to anyone looking for beautifully-illustrated fantasy fiction for Christmas. For my part, I hope more from both author Nora Surojegin and illustrator Pirkko-Liisa Surojegin (related, perhaps?) is translated! ( )