Nordic Tales: Folktales from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark by Ulla Thynell

Nordic Tales: Folktales from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark Reviews

• 
  Mischenko

  Nordic Tales by Chronicle Books and illustrated by Ulla Thynell is a beautiful collection of 17 folk tales from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark. Every tale varies in length, but most are fairly quick and easy to read.
  
  The book is divided into three sections: Transformation, Wit, and Journeys. Under each title, the author has included where it originates, and a few tales have more information attached at the bottom of the page for more clarification of a word used, or a historical fact; for example, the word jöjking is a Finnish word which means to sing songs.
  
  Many of the tales in this book were unfamiliar to me, while others reminded me of tales from childhood; for example, “The Old Woman and the Tramp” was very similar to “Stone Soup” with the concept and the lesson it teaches of kindness and sharing. Another familiar tale was “East of the Sun and West of the Moon”. Most tales contain folkloric characters we’re all familiar with including trolls, witches, dragons, giants, and talking animals of course. Some tales end happily, while others don't.
  
  The illustrations couldn’t be more stunning, in my opinion. Each tale has a one full-page illustration, and they’re all gorgeous; in fact, the cover is what originally pulled me in. A few favorites include illustrations from “The Boy Who Didn’t Know Fear," “The Forest Bride," and “Jack of Sjöholm and the Gan-Finn”.
  
  Nordic Tales would be perfect as a winter read, and I know we’ll revisit this one over and over again. I always get hooked on folk and fairy tale books such as this because they remind me of old books from my childhood with the way they’re designed. Even though this isn’t technically a children’s book, these are books that I look forward to sharing with my own children: stories that not only enrich their lives, but mine. This makes for such an enjoyable reading experience, and a positive reading experience for a parent can be such an inspiration to a child. I was able to share the tales with my middle-grade children, and many with my youngest daughter as well. There are a few tales that may be too scary for younger children (some that involve death and scary witches), but most are great for all ages.
  
  After reading Nordic Tales, we went on to purchase Celtic Tales and we’ll start that one soon. There’s even one called Tales from Japan we’re looking into. All of these are published by Chronicle Books, but have different illustrators.
  
  If you’re a fan of fairy tales and folk tales, definitely check out this book. While a few of the tales weren’t as enjoyable as others, it’s a nice collection worth having on the shelf.
  
  5*****
  
  You can also read this @readrantrockandroll.com
• 
  Teodora

  The moment I discovered this book, I got a burning desire to drink strong black coffee and start learning Icelandic.
  One question though, where can I find a Viking ship to hop on and sail away from my isolation?
• 
  Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin

  I liked the mouse bride but I couldn’t get into most of the stories. It sucks because the hardback is beautiful and the art is as well 😕
  
  Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
• 
  Trish

  I've had the books of this series (so far, there are 7 of which I currently own 4) for a while but only now found the time to finally read them.
  
  We get 16 Nordic tales in this book. For a mythology lover, that is woefully short and not enough by far. They are therefore affording just a glimpse at the riches buried in the respective mythology. Nevertheless, which stories were selected and how they were presented was so enchanting that I didn't mind at all.
  
  Overall, the book offers a nice insight into the Nordic culture, greatly helped by Ulla Thynell's artwork, which - frankly - was the best thing about this book.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The stories selected were very diverse - some were chilling, others hilarious, all with a lesson or two to teach the listeners/readers. So even though it's a short book with not enough stories for a greedy little bookworm like me, it's a great place to start, fantastic for whetting one's appetite for mythology, and/or as a pretty display piece on the shelf in addition to the more comprehensive comendiums.
• 
  Jessica

  Charming illustrations, beautiful binding, ribbon bookmark, embossed cover, everything I wanted from a gorgeous collection of stories from around Scandinavia. The final story, which is long and seems bizarre and a weird inclusion, but some of the others like the Mouse Bride are just TOO darling, and The Giant Who Had No Heart is a classic!
• 
  Hiba⁷

  I have always loved folktales, ever since my childhood, when mom used to tell me a story, from memory, before bed. After some time, I started choosing which one I was in the mood for, and even finishing off sentences.
  
  The layout of this book is beautiful, and I wish I had a physical copy to enjoy the illustrations better. The stories were very amusing, and not at all repetitive; I absolutely enjoyed reading them.
• 
  Christine

  Disclaimer: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.
  
  This collection of stories from Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and Finland draws from famous collections, but also lesser known collections. It is divided int three sections transformations, wit, and journeys. While East of the Sun, West of the Moon is included many of the stories are not as well known.
  
  The collection starts with “The Forest Bride” about a young man who marries a mouse. It ends with the story of “Jack of Sjoholm and the Gan-Finn”. Between the two, we have some traditional stories that would be well know to any read of folktales – such as the story of the Doctor and Death – but there are stories such as “The Honest Penny” or “Hildur, Queen of the Elves”.
  
  The illustrations are wonderful, quite beautiful. They remind one of the old fairy tale books with the classic illustrations. Thynell has the right combination of dark, light, and whimsey that makes a fairy tale picture a wonder to behold.
  
• 
  Christina (A Reader of Fictions)

  A lovely collection of fairy tales. The art's beautiful, and it had been a while since I'd read classic fairy tales rather than retellings, so I'd forgotten how soothing they can be. Though the tales themselves were new to me, many of them were reminiscent of Grimm's tales, which is interesting from a historical perspective. The final tale of the collection was the only one I didn't enjoy, too long and too focused on details of boats.
• 
  Luca the Jellyfish Queen

  Nordic Tales.
  
  Ah, fairy tales. You love them, then, for a brief time, you're too old for them, and then you love them again!
  Most of the time, only fairy tales from the Grimms or those made into movies by Disney get their time in the spotlight. So I'm very glad I could read this collection of nordic fairy tales.
  I, surprisingly, knew a fair share of them. Sure, most of them follow classic fairy tale tropes like the animal bride, but you don't read fairy tales to discover something completely new to the world, do you.
  The illustrations and the cover are super pretty and give off a kinda nostalgic vibe, that I appreciated.
  
  
  Thanks to Chronicle Books and Netgalley for providing this ARC!
• 
  Cori

  A short collection of fun, odd, and lesser known Nordic fairy stories. The paintings are cute and, all-in-all, a worthwhile read.
  
  I can't say these stories are particularly palatable for young children though. The content is appropriate, but it almost feels like certain components are lost in translation sometimes. I don't know that it would capture the attention of most children.
  
  I'd rate this book a PG.
• 
  vn

  Marvellous🤍
• 
  Devann

  Interesting collection of stories. Some are definitely a bit weird by modern standards and maybe a bit repetitive, but it's always interesting to see collections of stories from different cultures. I also like seeing the similarities between these stories and stories from other cultures - like there was one in here where the woman wasn't supposed to look at her husband and only was with him in the dark and then broke her promise by looking at him with a candle that is a lot like a Greek myth story. It's cool to see how some of these ideas are universal and how others probably got spread and changed by travelers. The illustrations are very pretty as well.
• 
  BookofElves

  Firstly, this is a beautiful hardback with stunning designs on the cover!🤍💙 I've a great interest in Nordic countries, so I was so happy to have this book.
  
  The book is divided into 3 different sections: 1: Transformation, 2: Wit, and 3: Journeys. The stories in each section relate to these themes😊
  
  All the illustrations are stunning and magical, and represent each folktale well🤍
  My favourite folktale from this book is "Toller's Neighbours" from Denmark! It was sweet and I could really picture Denmark in my mind while reading it😂
  
  Overall, I enjoyed the stories, and it's nice to read folktales from countries other than your own. I wasn't familiar with any of these stories prior to reading this book actually, so it this book was very interesting😊
  
  The reason why I gave this rating 4/5 instead of 5/5 is because the only folktale I wasn't a fan of, was the very last one.... The last tale was also the longest I think in the book, so it was a shame that it wasn't an enjoyable read, and that I had to end the book on a kind of bad note😫.The story just didn't gel well with me...?😅 I didn't like any of the characters, I didn't feel like too much happened, and overall it was quite boring.
  I also spotted some issues from time to time with the English translations (grammar mistakes or misprints) but it's not a big issue.
  
  I recommend this book to those who love folktales, especially if you're a fan of Nordic countries!😊❄
• 
  Yv

  3,5*
• 
  Amy Noelle

  Folktales are freaking weird 😂
• 
  Angela

  DEATH and the DOCTOR
  Norway
  
  “Yes; why not?” said the lad. “But what sort of man are you?”
  “They call me Death,” said the man.
  “The very man for my money,” said the lad. “Thee I am glad to drink with,”
  and as he said this he put down his keg, and began to tap the ale into a bowl.
  “Thou art an honest, trustworthy man, for thou treatest all alike, both rich and
  poor.”
  So he drank his health, and Death drank his health, and Death said he had
  never tasted such drink, and as the lad was fond of him, they drank bowl and
  bowl about, till the ale was lessened, and the keg grew light.
  At last Death said, “I have never known drink which smacked better, or did
  me so much good as this ale that you have given me, and I scarce know what to
  give you in return.” But, after he had thought awhile, he said the keg should never get empty, however much they drank out of it, and the ale that was in it
  should become a healing drink, by which the lad could make the sick whole
  again better than any doctor. And he also said that when the lad came into the
  sick man’s room, Death would always be there, and show himself to him, and it
  should be to him for a sure token if he saw Death at the foot of the bed that he
  could cure the sick with a draught from the keg; but if he sat by the pillow, there
  was no healing nor medicine, for then the sick belonged to Death.
• 
  Isabelle reads a book a day because she has no friends

  I admit the last story in the collection makes no sense to me, but I just loved reading this entire thing. It’s always marvelous to hear stories and legends from other cultures and these were a charming delight.
• 
  Lia Strange

  estos nordicos loco, todos sus cuentos se tratan de lo mismo, viva el viejo de la bolsa
• 
  Tessa

  This was an absolutely beautiful collection. I adore the illustration style. About half the stories were new to me, which was awesome.
• 
  Steff Fox

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  Reader Fox Blog |
  
  
  
  Nordic Tales is a large collection of stories and folktales brought together and illustrated by the wonderful Ulla Thynell. The stories range in length, theme, character, and plot. While I personally had not read any of them before, I was easily able to recognize the commonalities that they have with other old short stories. As with the Hans Christian Andersen works I've been reading lately, Nordic Tales has a lot of summaries, falling in love quickly without really knowing each other, and sends some great messages and some odd messages. I think this will always be a theme I find within stories from the far past. And yet I consistently find I love a great many of them and I deeply enjoyed the time I spent reading this new collection of stories, gathered from a number of different countries accompanied with brilliant artwork that really makes the stories stand out.
  
  As often happens when I read a book that is a collection of different stories by many different authors, I found that some of them were rather exceptional and enjoyable for me to read while others felt particularly dull and boring. One thing that Nordic Tales did right was to begin the collection with a story that would intrigue and engage me, the account of three brothers who set out to find wives and the one brother who ends up marrying a mouse. While I will say that the brother seemed a little like a dolt and was at times somewhat hurtful in his thoughts (though I suppose that's not uncommon anywhere), I deeply appreciated how he grew to care for the little mouse and eventually determined that the opinions of others did not matter in the slightest in comparison. And good things, of course, come to those who are good and kind to begin with.
  
  Alternately, there were a few stories such as the elf princess story that I didn't care for and would have preferred to skip. Ultimately, though, they didn't really ruin the book as a whole. Rather I simply imagine that if I were to buy it at some point, I would simply skip those stories when I get to them. All in all, I had a lot of fun reading this collection. I imagine it's possible to find many of the stories elsewhere, but it is really nice to have them all in one place, especially when it's in a collection that has artwork I like and appreciate.
  
  I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
  
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• 
  Hayden

  Everything about this book was nostalgic and cozy, perfect for cuddling under the covers with a mug of cocoa. I also admit (controversially, it seems) that I liked that it only contained 16 stories, which made it far less intimidating than many other folktale collections I've encountered. It was the perfect January read, and would possibly make a good read-aloud for older kids, too.
  
  I think the only story I had read previously was "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," but several of the tales felt very familiar; although, as in the case of "The Boy Who Did Not Know What Fear Was" that could be because they share characteristics with folktales from other regions.
  
  I definitely had two favorites: "The Forest Bride" (another one that felt a little familiar to me-I may have read it years ago) and "Toller's Neighbors" (which gave me major Hilda vibes).
  
  The illustration style was soft, dreamy, and comforting- a winning combination. I own three more of the books in this series (Celtic Tales, Tales of Japan, and Russian Tales), and I look forward to reading them.
• 
  Joanna Bennett

  I love a good folktale every now and again. I love reading ones from different countries because they are all so unique when it comes to the characters even if the plots can sometimes be the same. I saw this one offered as an ebook from my library and knew that I needed to read it. Although it took a few weeks for it to come in I am glad I took a chance with it.
  
  My favorite thing about folktales is the lessons we can learn from them. There was always a reason for sharing these stories and it makes me want to read them to my daughter.
  
  I think the story I enjoyed the most was the beginning one because it was very captivating and follows the age old, “don’t judge a book by its cover”. It was a well thought out tale. It is one that grabs your attention and so its a good thing it was at the beginning!
  
  Overall, if you are a fan of folktales then I would suggest checking out this collection!
• 
  Sophy H

  Although it looks more like a children's book, the stories here can be a little harsh for kids!
  
  The stories all have a moral grounding and a kooky little tale to tell.
  
  The best elements however are the illustrations! Ulla Thynell is a visual genius! The illustrations are beautifully presented, colourful, meaningful, just brilliant. She has an instagram page which is fantastic also.
  
  I loved reading this on a rainy day, reminded me of being little!
• 
  Hiko Murs

  This book was very expensive for me, (like Nordic expensive: 4.799,00 icelandic krona=30€ 😅) and did not worth the price. Illustrations were okay, but that's it. The tales did not met my expectations. They were jejune and boring. So overall, I did not like the book mainly because of its repetitiveness.
• 
  Kari Marie

  Nordic Tales is a collection of fairy tales that I had not heard of before. I enjoy fairy tales and really enjoy some new ones. The illustrations were also beautiful. I would recommend this book if you had not touched any fairy tales outside of the Grimm Brothers.
• 
  Rebecca

  Great stories of Nordic origin that I was unfamiliar with.
  
  The illustrations were beautiful and soft.
• 
  Becca

  I went in expecting fairy tales, but they really are more fables and folktales. Entertaining, but lacking the charm and psychic power of fairy tales.
• 
  Beleth

  Libro de cuentos clásicos de países nórdicos (ojo, no confundir con mitología nórdica de Odín, Thor, etc.) donde hay un total de 17 cuentos agrupados en tres categorías (transformación, ingenio y viajes). Cada uno de ellos encierra una historia, casi todas con finales un poco crudos y algunos incluso macabros, que ejemplifica muy bien cómo eran antes los cuentos. Muchos nos resultarán desconocidos, aunque en algunos casos sí los podemos comparar (aunque sea muy por encima) con otros más nuestros como el del gato con botas. Las ilustraciones a pagina completa de Ulla Thynell, una por cuento, además son una preciosidad.
  
  Todos los cuentos proceden de libros que están ya en dominio público y que se pueden encontrar en páginas web como Archive, de hecho, al final aparecen los enlaces a los libros concretos de los que han sacado cada cuento, así que os pueden servir para leer todavía más cuentos de esta zona del planeta.
  
  Muy recomendable si os gustan los cuentos clásicos, muy alejados del espíritu Disney, y si queréis conocer otras culturas.
  
• 
  Stephanie

  This collection of folktales is full of drop-dead gorgeous art by one of my very favorite artists, Ulla Thynell, and this is a lovely collection of folk tales, too. I wish there had been a clearer attribution of who wrote each of them, but it's also possible that the information was there and I just wasn't looking hard enough at all of the appropriate copyright notices. I read this out loud to my two kids, who loved it and were enthralled by it...until the very last story, which is just SO long and - although it's full of genuinely beautiful imagery - is so convoluted in its language and so surreal, too, that they just couldn't follow the narrative, and even I struggled to stay interested in it as I read. So I'm giving the book 4 rather than 5stars on a personal, subjective level just because of that last story - but that was just one story out of 16, so in other words, I still strongly recommend this collection!
• 
  Natalia

  Я неровно дышу ко всему северному, и скандинавскому в частности - а тут еще и сказки, и совершенно чудесные иллюстрации финской художницы Уллы Тинелл - так что эта книга для меня просто воплощенная мечта.
  
  17 сказок (жаааалко, что не больше), совершенно разных - но преимущественно с троллями, эльфами и волшебством - все как я люблю. Интересно, кстати, было прочитать скандинавскую версию "лягушки-царевны" и "кота в сапогах" (спойлер: царевна была не лягушка, и в сапогах был не кот).
  
  Последняя сказка в сборнике трудновата для восприятия и очень страшная - зато от нее прямо веет седой древностью.
  
  В общем, всем рекомендую. Ну, и эту книгу, конечно, надо иметь в бумажном виде - чтобы рассматривать картинки, гладить обложку и прижимать ее к сердцу))