The Adventures of Thor the Thunder God

by Lise Lunge-Larsen, Jim Madsen (Illustrator)

He is the biggest and mightiest of the gods. If he tightens his belt, he doubles his strength. If he swings his hammer, lightning flashes. When he races his billy goats across the sky, their hooves kick up huge thunderclouds. And when the folks below in Middle Earth hear a boom of thunder, they always smile, for they know their loyal Thor, protector and defender of civilization, has once again brought order to the universe. Told and retold often and with great affection, the Thor stories have been around since the days of the Vikings. Here, illustrated with high drama and written with humor and skill, are ancient stories made accessible and fun.

Genres: Mythology, Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Young Adult, Folklore

80 pages, Hardcover

First published June 18, 2007

Reviews

[Abigail]

Storyteller and children's author Lise Lunge-Larsen, who was born and raised in Norway, and grew up listening to her father's tales of the great thunder god, Thor, here sets out some of the most popular stories concerning the mighty protector of Asgard, and his adventures amongst humans and giants. After a brief introduction, in which she explains who Thor was, and how he fit into the wider world of Norse mythology, she relates the tale of Loki's bet with Brokk the dwarf, which produced such treasures as Mjolnir the Thunderbolt; explains how Thor came to have a human servant, in the form of the fleet-footed Tjalvi; sets out the stories of Thor's duel with Ragnir the giant, and his thwarted effort to defeat Outgardloki; and concludes with the humorous episode in which Thor and Loki must masquerade as women, in order to retrieve Mjolnir from the giant who stole it.

I enjoyed The Adventures of Thor the Thunder God, which presented these well-known stories in an entertaining fashion (thanks, Kathryn, for bringing it to my attention!), and which would make for an excellent introduction to an important figure from the Norse pantheon. The computer generated artwork was engaging enough (despite not really being to my personal taste, aesthetically speaking), and will undoubtedly keep young readers involved. All in all, a good selection for children with an interest in mythology! It's an advanced picture-book, probably suitable for multiple bedtime readings (or for middle grade readers capable of tackling more advanced texts all at once), and could be paired, to great effect, with more general works such as D'Aulaires' Norse Gods & Giants .

[Kathryn]

Contains background information about Thor, describing his parentage, why he is called the Thunder God, and why the Vikings loved him best of all the gods. Then progresses to several stories about Thor's adventures. The illustrations are bold and engaging, with an appropriately mythical feel without seeming old-fashioned. A bit long for younger readers, but the older picture book crowd with an interest in mythology or learning more about Thor (now that Marvel has made him popular again!) will likely enjoy it.

[Becky]

First sentence: Long, long ago, when the Vikings ruled the seas, people loved to tell stories about gods and giants. Renowned as warriors and sailors, the Vikings were also great storytellers. Their most treasured stories were about a god named Thor.

Premise/plot: This is a story book for elementary readers. It contains nine stories--all generously illustrated. The stories are: "Why Thor Is Called the Thunder God," "The Giants," "Thor's Family," "Loki's Bet," "Tialvi and the Billy Goats," "A Duel," "Outwitted," and "Stolen Thunder."

My thoughts: I liked this one. I didn't perhaps love, love, love it like I did Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology. But this is a children's book. And the focus isn't on ALL the gods, but specifically on Thor. Some stories are in both books. I really enjoyed some of these stories. My favorites were "Outwitted," "Stolen Thunder," and "Loki's Bet." The stories are action-packed and most are packed with humor as well.

[Our Weekend Is Booked]

My 8 year old is a huge Marvel fan so I thought I could sneak in some Nordic tales by reading a book about Thor. This is not a Marvel book (much to the disappointment of my 8 year old son) but some of the characters like Thor, Odin and Loki have been featured in Marvel comics and movies. My son and I both enjoyed reading these tales that had quite a bit of Loki and his mischievous ways in the stories. I thought that each story was a great length and kept my 8 year old engaged.

[Marisa Duarte]

This collection of some of Thor's amazing adventures is accompanied by fantastic oil paintings of Thor, Loki, Tjalvi, Freya, and the Jotun who challenge them. Included are tales of how Thor acquired Mjolnir, defeated the king of the giants, and first met Tjalvi, the boy hero who becomes his assistant in many escapades. The stories are about 5 pages apiece, with paintings of the protagonists and their exploits. Ideal for 7 to 10 year olds.

[Marcia]

Beautiful illustrations, stories are well told

[Kathleen McKim]

A picture book with mostly beautifully illustrated re-tellings of the adventures of Thor and Loki. Not so much of an anthropological text. It would be a good book to pick up and read without any actual knowledge of Norse mythology, just to enjoy the stories.

[Angela]

This is a fun retelling of some mythology stories about Thor. It includes stories about his goats, Loki's trickery, cross dressing to fool giants, and how his hammer came to him. I enjoyed the art included. The pictures made the story much more interesting to read. I love it when I find a good, long, picture book retelling myths.

[Rachel]

It was nice to read some Norse mythology. The "Thor" and "Avenger" movies have peaked my interest a bit. I really didn't know that Loki was Odin's foster brother instead of Thor's and Frigga was a Jotun.

[Elisabeth]

Wonderful book. Such a great find. It's far and away the best one I've seen on Norse mythology for kids. My son, who loves Norse mythology and Thor in particular, absolutely loved it. Wonderful illustrations, engaging stories.

[Emily]

good story. I really liked it. It has a collection of a lot of stories all about THor. Great book.

[Rachel]

Fantastic book with great illustrations about Thor the Thunder God of Norse Mythology and his adventures. Highly recommended.

[Graceann Oswald]

The God Thor and his story. I liked the pictures and the way the story flowed in chapters that were different stories.

[Stephanie]

Very accessible and loved the illustrations.

[Sonic]

First-rate Juvenile book about Thor, with superb illustrations.

[Teri]

super supplement to vikings!!!

[Erin]

Great illustrations and short stories

[Alison]

An awesome book about Thor for kids. Aimed more so at ages 7-12 but my younger sons loved it when I read it to them, too. Great pictures.

[Misbah]

A collection of Thor stories, retelling of some of the original Viking legends.

[Mary Ann]

wonderful