Status
Available
Collection
Publication
Houghton Mifflin Company (2001), Edition: 1st, 32 pages
Description
Tells how the infant Prince Hakon is rescued by men fiercely loyal to his dead father, who ski across the rugged mountains in blizzard conditions to save him from his enemies, the Baglers.
Local notes
Publishers Weekly, 09/02/2001
Based on a 1264 account documenting a true incident in Norwegian history, this engaging narrative opens during a 1206 Christmas Eve gathering at the home of one of the Birkebeiners, a group of brave warriors. A priest knocks on the door, who has in his protection a baby, Prince Hakon, and his mother; a rival band aspires to kill the child (who is heir to the throne) and to declare one of their own king. Soon a handful of Birkebeiners escorts the trio, escaping on skis across tall, stormy mountains. Caldecott winner Azarian's (Snowflake Bentley) finely detailed woodcut illustrations, hand-tinted with watercolors, capture the serene snow-covered landscape as well as the driving snowstorm that impedes the travelers' progress. In direct and compelling prose, Lunge-Larsen recounts how the two Birkebeiners most renowned for their skiing ability forge ahead with the prince, fortuitously happen upon a barn buried under a snowdrift and manage to keep the baby alive by feeding him snow. In a concluding note, the author explains that Hakon became Norway's most powerful king during the Middle Ages and brought peace and prosperity to the country, making this rescue tale all the more gratifying. The stately art, which includes intricate borders framing blocks of text, neatly captures the historical and cultural aspects of this story. Ages 5-9.
Based on a 1264 account documenting a true incident in Norwegian history, this engaging narrative opens during a 1206 Christmas Eve gathering at the home of one of the Birkebeiners, a group of brave warriors. A priest knocks on the door, who has in his protection a baby, Prince Hakon, and his mother; a rival band aspires to kill the child (who is heir to the throne) and to declare one of their own king. Soon a handful of Birkebeiners escorts the trio, escaping on skis across tall, stormy mountains. Caldecott winner Azarian's (Snowflake Bentley) finely detailed woodcut illustrations, hand-tinted with watercolors, capture the serene snow-covered landscape as well as the driving snowstorm that impedes the travelers' progress. In direct and compelling prose, Lunge-Larsen recounts how the two Birkebeiners most renowned for their skiing ability forge ahead with the prince, fortuitously happen upon a barn buried under a snowdrift and manage to keep the baby alive by feeding him snow. In a concluding note, the author explains that Hakon became Norway's most powerful king during the Middle Ages and brought peace and prosperity to the country, making this rescue tale all the more gratifying. The stately art, which includes intricate borders framing blocks of text, neatly captures the historical and cultural aspects of this story. Ages 5-9.
Media reviews
Library Talk
An infant prince whose life is sought by enemies of the king, a dangerous rescue mission over the mountains on skis, a blizzard, nothing to eat but snow .... This true 13th-century story is sure to captivate young readers. ... The drama of this carefully told tale and its setting in the Middle Ages
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are powerfully rendered in Azarian's striking woodcuts. ... Adults may be more disturbed than children by the Ordeal of the Burning Irons that Inga must endure to prove her son's royalty, but all readers will be fascinated by the details of this gratifying story. Show Less
[Starred Review] ... Caldecott winner Azarian's (Snowflake Bentley) finely detailed woodcut illustrations, hand-tinted with watercolors, capture the serene snow-covered landscape as well as the driving snowstorm that impedes the travelers' progress. In direct and compelling prose, Lunge-Larsen
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recounts how the two Birkebeiners most renowned for their skiing ability forge ahead with the prince, fortuitously happen upon a barn buried under a snowdrift and manage to keep the baby alive by feeding him snow. In a concluding note, the author explains that Håkon became Norway's most powerful king during the Middle Ages and brought peace and prosperity to the country, making this rescue tale all the more gratifying. ... Show Less
School Library Journal
K-Gr 5 --This Norwegian legend, based on an actual event from the 13th century, has it all: an infant prince in peril, loyal Birkebeiners out to save him from the enemy Baglers, blizzard conditions and an escape on skis, and potential starvation. ... Despite some hard-to-pronounce names (Skervald
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Skrukka, Torstein Skevla), the prose is clear and the story is engaging. The saga is exciting but the illustrations truly make this book stand out. ... This adventure is a worthy selection for all folklore collections. Show Less
... [The author and illustrator] combine their considerable talents to retell a dramatic true story of the Norwegian Birkebeiners (“Birchleggers”), a group of medieval peasant warriors who wrapped birchbark around their legs in lieu of armor before going into battle. In 1206, two of the
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Birkebeiners saved the infant Prince Hakon by skiing across the mountains in a blizzard.... The baby became one of Norway’s most famous kings, and the Birkebeiner ski race is still reenacted annually in both Norway and the US. Lunge-Larsen relates the story with the dramatic flair of a professional storyteller, and Azarian’s dazzling handtinted woodcuts provide a natural artistic accompaniment to a story set in the Middle Ages. ... Show Less
Awards
Aesop Prize (Accolade — 2002)
Minnesota Book Awards (Finalist — Children — 2002)
CCBC Choices (2001)
Notable Children's Book (2002)