Home for Christmas

Tired of being asked to do chores, Rollo, "a very wild troll," runs away from home in Brett's (The 3 Little Dassies) atmospheric holiday adventure. Set in the mountains of Sweden, the book introduces a cast of naturalistic woodland animals, portrayed in intricate detail in Brett's watercolor and gouache paintings. As Rollo befriends various animal families (that more or less tolerate his presence), borders resembling birch bark depict the goings-on back home, where his family obviously misses him, and preview which creatures he will next encounter. The reformed Rollo's homecoming, just in time for Christmas celebrations, is foregone yet no less heartwarming. Ages 3-5. (Nov.)

K-Gr 3--A naughty little troll learns a lesson just in time for Christmas in this Scandinavian-flavored tale. Trolls, readers learn, only lose their tails when they are kind and helpful, and that does not describe wild child Rollo, who never helps out. In fact, he runs away from home looking for a family that won't require him to contribute. The owl and bear families don't work out, and as the year progresses toward winter and the weather gets colder, Rollo realizes he wants to be home, which is fortunately just down the mountain. One moose antler toboggan ride later, he meets up with his family, and his kind and helpful behavior on Christmas Eve results in a lost tail for this reformed character. The story isn't one of Brett's finest, but, as always, the charming illustrations are filled with wonderful detail.--Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library