Status
Available
Local notes
398.2 Lun
Collection
Genres
Publication
Houghton Mifflin Company (2001), Edition: 1st, Hardcover, 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.
Awards
Aesop Prize (Accolade — 2002)
Minnesota Book Awards (Winner — Children — 2002)
CCBC Choices (2001)
Notable Children's Book (2002)
Physical description
32 p.; 11.38 inches
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
User reviews
LibraryThing member jinmoon
Since the death of their king, Baglers, men who wanted wealth through greed, were on the lookout for the former king’s son. Now, the men who were loyal to the king, birkebeiners, needed to protect their prince and keep him safe. They must fight the fierce winter snowstorm and save the baby
The story teaches the readers about birkebeiners and their heroic actions as well as what a mother can go through to save her son. It uses relatively simple vocabulary, mixed with some Norwegian words. Some of these words have pronunciations written next to them and it will be easy for readers to sound out these words.
The unique illustrations are done with woodcuts and watercolors. The illustrator uses different symbols and knots for borders that reflect the Norwegian culture. The illustrations follow the flow of the story and through it, the readers will know of the difficult journey through the snowstorm. Also, the illustrations portray what Norway would have looked like when Prince Hakon was alive.
This is a great book for young and old readers to learn about the history of Prince Hakon and the tales of his escape.
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prince. However, even after the storm ended, Baglers spread rumors about the prince was not real. The prince’s mother, Igna goes through religious trial to prove that he is the rightful king. The story teaches the readers about birkebeiners and their heroic actions as well as what a mother can go through to save her son. It uses relatively simple vocabulary, mixed with some Norwegian words. Some of these words have pronunciations written next to them and it will be easy for readers to sound out these words.
The unique illustrations are done with woodcuts and watercolors. The illustrator uses different symbols and knots for borders that reflect the Norwegian culture. The illustrations follow the flow of the story and through it, the readers will know of the difficult journey through the snowstorm. Also, the illustrations portray what Norway would have looked like when Prince Hakon was alive.
This is a great book for young and old readers to learn about the history of Prince Hakon and the tales of his escape.
Show Less
LibraryThing member gmorgan14
Genre: Folklore, Legends
THis story is about the legend of the King of Norway and the ski race that is held each year in remembrance of his reign. The legend is important because of the great sacrifice and risk a group of men and omen took to save the king from the Bagelers when he was just a baby.
THis story is about the legend of the King of Norway and the ski race that is held each year in remembrance of his reign. The legend is important because of the great sacrifice and risk a group of men and omen took to save the king from the Bagelers when he was just a baby.
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It is set in the year of 1206 and the vocabulary is fairly difficult for young readers. It teaches a few Norwegian words, but it also uses English words that students would need to look up or look for contextual clues to figure out. The media is wood carving with acrylic painting over it. Show Less
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Pages
32