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Grump the Tomte #2
The Midsummer Tomte and the Little Rabbits
It's summer in the forest and the rabbit children are looking forward to their first Midsummer party. Owl, who knows everything, says Midsummer is a time for dancing, love and magic. What a fun time they will have! Then a terrible storm sweeps through the forest and the woodland animals must find shelter at Grump the tomte's cottage. With the forest turned upside down, will the little rabbits still be able to arrange the famous Midsummer party? This follow-up to The Yule Tomte and the Little Rabbits is an enchanting story in twenty-one chapters, which can be read through June to conclude on Midsummer's Day. Ulf Stark masterfully weaves together drama and comedy to create a heartfelt and truly magical story. Award-winning illustrator Eva Eriksson brings the charming characters to life with delightful seasonal artwork.
120 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2015
1 person is currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Ulf Stark
205 books75 followersUlf Gottfrid Stark was a Swedish author and screenwriter (he adapted several of his own books for film and wrote the screenplay for the 1999 film Tsatsiki, morsan och polisen).
Stark collaborated with the illustrators Anna Höglund and Mati Lepp.
From 1989 to 1998 he was an elected member of the Swedish Academy for Children's Books Svenska barnboksakademin. In 1998 he received the Nordic Children's Book Prize.
Stark was born and grew up in Stureby, Stockholm Municipality, which place features in several of his books. Stark's interest in writing started early; during his time at secondary school he was introduced to writing by his classmate Peter Curman, and in 1964 he wrote his first poetry Ett hål till livet. Following this, Stark's interest in writing for a career was greatly encouraged.
Stark collaborated with the illustrators Anna Höglund and Mati Lepp.
From 1989 to 1998 he was an elected member of the Swedish Academy for Children's Books Svenska barnboksakademin. In 1998 he received the Nordic Children's Book Prize.
Stark was born and grew up in Stureby, Stockholm Municipality, which place features in several of his books. Stark's interest in writing started early; during his time at secondary school he was introduced to writing by his classmate Peter Curman, and in 1964 he wrote his first poetry Ett hål till livet. Following this, Stark's interest in writing for a career was greatly encouraged.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 6, 2020
Cute. I wish there was a little more about the activities of humans during Midsummer celebrations but there are some. Good illustrations.
July 7, 2016
Originally published in Sweden, this story has kid-appeal all over with an unexpected hero, a bit of romance, a near-death experience, and a grumpy character who finds love when he has lost hope that it's out there waiting for him. Grump is a tomte, a small mythological creature from Scandinavia who brings to mind a dwarf. When the rabbits become excited about possibly attending a Midsummer Festival, he gets involved in some surprising ways, and although he claims to prefer being alone, he still enjoys spending some time with his bumblebee friend and the family of rabbits who take shelter with him after disaster strikes. The story itself is sweet and contains many life lessons as well as observations on the nature of living things, and the beautifully-colored illustrations capture its essence perfectly. This is the sort of story that should be handed down from one generation to the next, a literary gift filled with rewards in its telling.
June 27, 2019
This is a charming story of woodland creatures, a tomte (or gnome), a storm, a rescue, love and celebration. The book is beautifully illustrated. Perfect for bedtime or for young readers.
June 28, 2022
Every December we read another book by the same author, The Yule Tomte and the Little Rabbits: A Christmas Story for Advent, every day leading up to the Yuletide holiday; this year we began a new tradition of reading a chapter of this book every day in June leading up to the Summer Solstice. This one tells the story of the Swedish tomte, Grump, and his forest friends, preparing to celebrate Midsummer!
July 12, 2024
The kids and I read this leading up to Midsummer and it was such a sweet story.
June 20, 2020
Cute story. I was a little confused/surprised by the wedding at the end because I thought the young rabbits were supposed to be children. My kids loved the story and illustrations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2021
Fun cute story to read every day to count down to the summer solstice.
June 27, 2021
Fun to have a countdown to Midsummer. A cute story of animals and a tomte. The talk of marriage & a wedding brought up some new, cute conversations.
September 8, 2024
Grump the tomte and all of his woodland friends return in this follow-up to Swedish author/illustrator team Ulf Stark and Eva Eriksson's
The Yule Tomte and the Little Rabbits: A Christmas Story for Advent
. As Grump tries to deny the sense of loss and loneliness he feels when the bumblebee he rescued and cared for departs, the Rabbit family learns about Midsummer, and wonder whether they can put together some appropriate festivities. But when a terrible storm and flood strikes the forest, all the little animals head to Grump's seeking shelter and care. There, after various dramas are resolved, both Grump and Binny Rabbit tie themselves to the one they love, and a wonderful Midsummer celebration is had by all...
Originally published in Sweden as Sommar i Stora Skogen, and then translated into English by Susan Beard and published by the Edinburgh-based Floris Books, The Midsummer Tomte and the Little Rabbits is a worthy successor to the earlier book featuring these characters. Divided into twenty-one very short chapters, it would make a wonderful multiple-day bedtime story, particularly for young children who love both fairy-tales and animal stories. I appreciated the way that the narrative depicted Grump, who is genuinely grumpy and often very gruff on the outside, but whose actions show him to be generous and kind, as I think this subtly teaches children the lesson that sometimes people's bite is worse than their bite, and that there is a difference between being nice, and being kind. As with the earlier title, I found the artwork here delightful, and thought it perfectly captured the beauty of the summertime world, and the charm of the animals and tomte. Recommended to anyone who has already read and enjoyed the first book about Grump, as well as to young fantasy lovers looking for stories about tomte, or set at Midsummer.
Originally published in Sweden as Sommar i Stora Skogen, and then translated into English by Susan Beard and published by the Edinburgh-based Floris Books, The Midsummer Tomte and the Little Rabbits is a worthy successor to the earlier book featuring these characters. Divided into twenty-one very short chapters, it would make a wonderful multiple-day bedtime story, particularly for young children who love both fairy-tales and animal stories. I appreciated the way that the narrative depicted Grump, who is genuinely grumpy and often very gruff on the outside, but whose actions show him to be generous and kind, as I think this subtly teaches children the lesson that sometimes people's bite is worse than their bite, and that there is a difference between being nice, and being kind. As with the earlier title, I found the artwork here delightful, and thought it perfectly captured the beauty of the summertime world, and the charm of the animals and tomte. Recommended to anyone who has already read and enjoyed the first book about Grump, as well as to young fantasy lovers looking for stories about tomte, or set at Midsummer.
May 13, 2024
Note - the subtitle above is not on the book.
A delightful storybook of the kind we're not seeing published in the US much these days. First published 2015 in Sweden, it is large format hardback with 21 short chapters interspersed with full page and spot illustrations - enough to balance the story. It reads like a traditional Tomte story from earlier days. Gentle. Great for reading aloud to a child on lap or children gathered around. Or the early reader who feels ready to read a first or 2nd level chapter book.
The sweet animal children bring playfulness, humorous interplays, and emotional empathy with them. As the Tomte tries hard to be a grump to avoid loneliness, his beliefs and ways are changed.
The same with Father who is suspicious, Grandfather is losing his memory but still a great wise resource for the younger rabbits. The thoughts about love and marriage are old fashioned while the words about how it happens are fun. Not best advice on prepping actions for relationships perhaps but positive and optimistic. The way one would expect rabbits to chose a partner.
Midsummer Festival details are a lovely way to learn about this historical and ongoing cultural event.
A delightful storybook of the kind we're not seeing published in the US much these days. First published 2015 in Sweden, it is large format hardback with 21 short chapters interspersed with full page and spot illustrations - enough to balance the story. It reads like a traditional Tomte story from earlier days. Gentle. Great for reading aloud to a child on lap or children gathered around. Or the early reader who feels ready to read a first or 2nd level chapter book.
The sweet animal children bring playfulness, humorous interplays, and emotional empathy with them. As the Tomte tries hard to be a grump to avoid loneliness, his beliefs and ways are changed.
The same with Father who is suspicious, Grandfather is losing his memory but still a great wise resource for the younger rabbits. The thoughts about love and marriage are old fashioned while the words about how it happens are fun. Not best advice on prepping actions for relationships perhaps but positive and optimistic. The way one would expect rabbits to chose a partner.
Midsummer Festival details are a lovely way to learn about this historical and ongoing cultural event.
June 12, 2025
A grumpy tomte prefers to be alone because then he won't be sad when someone leaves. The someones in fact being a bumblebee, several rabbits, mice, a squirrel, and a few badgers, who get rained out of their homes during an unusually fierce storm. The tomte, named Grump, has plenty of room at an abandoned farmhouse. He nurses everyone back to health, including a daring rabbit named Rory, tells them about Midsummer activities, and isn't grumpy anymore. Plus there's a wedding! Cute illustrations by Eva Eriksson.
April 10, 2024
What a wonderful family read-aloud! It had the sweet and whimsy that I adore, and the characters spring further to life with each chapter. The nature-inspired illustrations are also so beautiful and calming. Our homeschool family thoroughly enjoyed it ❤️
July 18, 2023
Beautyfull book for children and people with a childlike mind.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews