The Cat on the Dovrefell: A Christmas Tale. Illustrated by Tomie dePaola. Translated by George Webbe Dasent. 1979/2021. 32 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: Once upon a time, in the faraway land of Finnmark, a man caught a great white bear. "This bear will be a great gift for the king of Denmark," he said. So he set off.
Premise/plot: A picture book retelling of a traditional fairy tale from Norway. A man (and his bear) take refuge in a couple's home. But the couple are fleeing from their home because of TROLLS that come every year to eat their Christmas feast. The man (and his bear) are welcome to stay, however. They do. The trolls come...and well...let's just say it might be their last time to come visiting this particular house.
My thoughts: What a strange, strange book. I knew absolutely nothing when I picked it up at the library. I was expecting, well, I was expecting an ACTUAL CAT. If you've read the story, you know there isn't really a CAT to be found in the story. I wasn't expecting a traditional folk tale that has been translated (multiple times) into English. I was definitely NOT expecting trolls. So the book caught me off guard as far as what I was expecting versus what I got. That being said, if you weren't reading the book looking for an adorable little kitty kitty, then you probably would end up enjoying it more than I did!
© 2021 Becky Laney of Young Readers
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