Review by Booklist Review
Norwegian-born Lunge-Larsen is a veteran storyteller whose previous retellings of Scandinavian folktales include The Troll with No Heart in His Body (1999). In this picture-book-size offering, she introduces Thor, the biggest, strongest, bravest Norse god. Each chapter-length adventure stars the legendary figure, whose omnipotent powers and costume (he wears a magic belt that doubles his strength) easily match the trappings of contemporary superheroes. One tale imagines how Thor acquires his famous weapon of choice, a mighty hammer; another tells how a humble farm boy becomes Thor's servant and lives as the only human among gods. The stories are well paced for dramatic read-alouds, and Madsen's full-page, full-color illustrations, which have the smooth look of computer-generated animation, amplify the excitement in scenes of menacing, giant trolls tussling with chisel-jawed heroes. The author includes a bibliography, but her sources are loose and include her own childhood memories. Pair this handsome volume, which fills a gap on the folklore shelves, with Leonard Everett Fisher's Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Norse (2002).--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The namesake of the fifth day of the week gets a fresh look in this compilation of Thor stories by Lunge-Larsen (Noah's Mittens). The Norwegian-born author drew upon the tales of her youth in putting together this collection that features the revered Thunder God. The opening sentence explains his stature: "The Vikings worshiped many gods, but Thor was their favorite because he was the biggest, strongest, and bravest. He kept everyone safe from the evil giants." The ensuing eight stories detail Thor's family, the origins of his strength and some of the battles he fought, as well as relate a few of the humorous pickles the mighty god found himself in, such as when he had to dress as a bride to get back his stolen battle hammer. Despite the book's length and a sprinkling of Norwegian words (a glossary is given at the end), the conversational narrative reads easily, providing enough details about each character to avoid confusing audiences. Madsen's (Call Me Little Echo Hawk) majestic digitally rendered illustrations bring the tales to life, echoing their humor, with many characters portrayed in caricature. While some scenes resemble lush oil paintings (including a spread of giants stalking the land against an imposing purple mountain backdrop), others (such as bits of spot art that capture a character's emotion or introduce a new setting) could pass as animation stills. These retellings offer an accessible and engaging doorway into the world of Norse mythology. Ages 6-10. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-This heavily illustrated, oversize volume introduces the pantheon of Norse gods and giants and some of Thor's family members and then relates several well-known tales of the Thunder God. Drawing on tales heard in her own childhood and those found in well-known collections and some secondary sources, Lunge-Larsen adds dialogue and descriptive details to the spare retellings. Usually, the stories move along well, though occasionally the use of colloquial language somewhat diminishes the grand stature of the characters. "`You know what?' said Thor. `You're a powerful little fellow, and I'm proud to call you my son.'" The Norse names of the characters have been retained with only Thor's magical goats renamed in English as Toothgnasher and Toothgrinder. Thor tangles with Loki, receives his wonderful hammer, duels with Rugnir, is outwitted by Outgardloki, and bears the humiliation of dressing as Freya to retrieve his stolen hammer from Trym. The generous digital illustrations are mixed in execution and appeal. There are plenty of strong and ugly characters but many have the flat, unrealistic look of those common to many animated films. Less vivid than Thor of Marvel Comics fame, they lack the realism and compelling power of the god rendered in some paintings and prints. There's a substantial glossary and pronunciation guide, and a good list for further reading, and libraries short of Norse mythology will find the book a welcome introduction.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This book presents several myths about the Norse god Thor. The sections first introduce the god himself, his rivals the giants, and his family before spinning them all together into tales about his various deeds. The illustrations are a mixed bag, with some looking serious and others more cartoonish, but they all help bring the adventures to life. Reading list. Bib., glos. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Billing Thor as the Vikings' favorite god, because he was "the biggest, strongest and bravest," a veteran talespinner smoothly retells five of his better-known exploits, from feeding a poor family on two goats that magically reconstitute themselves in the morning to getting his stolen hammer back by impersonating the goddess Freya. He comes across as a blustery but compassionate sort here, ever ready to defend the gods against trolls and Jotun (giants)--though his own mother was a giant--and to forgive even the pranks of his Jotun foster brother Loki. In Madsen's big, luminous digital paintings, the Jotun and dwarves--beetle-browed, bull-necked and scowling--look particularly thuggish next to the handsome, graceful residents of Asgard. As in the tales themselves, the tone is more comic than violent. Though the stories are easy to find elsewhere (Bruce Coville's rendition of Thor's Wedding Day (2005), illustrated by Matthew Cogswell, is particularly uproarious), all together they make an engaging gateway to the many larger collections of Norse myths, and are equally suited to reading alone or aloud. (source and reading lists, glossary, pronunciation guide) (Folktales. 9-11) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
