Woody, Hazel and Little Pip

by Elsa Beskow

This delightful Fall story describes the woodland adventures of two acorn children who get carried away by the blustery wind. Mr Squirrel and Hazel, the youngest Hazelnut child, go off in search of them and encounter a grumpy troll and the Chestnut boys along the way.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Nature, Fantasy, Animals, Classics

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1939

About the author

"Så långt jag minns tillbaka brukade vi syskon, liksom nästan alla barn, tycka mycket om att rita. Jag var bara sex år då jag hade klart för mig, att jag helst av allt ville lära mig rita, när jag blev stor, och allra helst rita i sagoböcker. Min bror och jag brukade ofta sitta och rita tillsammans. Han ritade vikingafejder och grekiska hjältestrider, medan jag ritade barn och stugor och landskap. Hans ritningar var säkert mycket bättre än mina. Jag kommer ihåg att jag beundrade dem mycket, fast jag nog tyckte att hans hjältar hade väl korta ben." Så berättar Elsa Beskow om sin barndom "När jag var liten" publicerad första gången i Barnbiblioteket Saga nr 35 (texten ovan tagen ur Solägget 1986) I samma berättelse skriver Elsa Beskow om hur roligt det var att gå i skolan och få lära sig läsa, hennes favoritbok var en tjock Topeliusbok som hon släpade med sig överallt och läste högt ur för sina syskon.

Redan som liten satte hon ihop långa sagor som hon berättade för sin ett år äldre bror, "Vanligen gick det till så, att han släpade mig med sig till en vrå, satte sig själv i vägen för mig, så att jag ej kunde rymma, och befallde: berätta nu! Och jag pladdrade på så gott jag kunde. Ibland tappade jag alldeles tråden i berättelsen och frågade honom bekymrad: 'Vad menar jag, Hans?' 'Kanske menar Elsa så…' föreslog han helt beredvilligt, och så fortgick berättelsen."

Elsa Beskow föddes 1874 på Söder i Stockholm. Hennes familj bestod av mor och far, fyra systrar och en bror. När Elsa Beskow var 15 år dog hennes far och modern blev ensam med barnen. Familjen flyttade till moderns ogifta yngre syskon som bodde tillsammans. Mostrarna och morbrodern blev verklighetens förebilder till Tant Grön, Tant Brun, Tant Gredelin och Farbror Blå.

Under åren 1892-95 utbildade sig Elsa Beskow till teckningslärare vid Tekniska skolan, det var också då som hon började att teckna för barn. 1897 gifte hon sig med Natanael Beskow, präst och konstnär. Paret fick sex söner, vilka många gånger kom att stå modell för barnen i hennes berättelser och sagor. Deras hus och vildvuxna trädgård i Djursholm fick ge inspiration till hennes besjälade blommor och växter. Elsa Beskows stil har jämförts med sekelskifteskonstnärer som Walter Crane och Kate Greenaway, men även Ottilia Adelborg. Första gången hennes bilder, bildberättelser och verser publicerades var 1894 för barntidningen Jultomten.

Barnboksdebuten kom 1897 med bilderboken Sagan om den lilla lilla gumman, en klassiker som de flesta barn känner till ännu idag. Elsa Beskow hade fått ramsan om den lilla gumman berättad för sig av sin mormor och i den första upplagan från 1897 slutar boken abrupt med gummans "Schas katta!" I nästa upplaga tyckte förläggaren på Wahlström och Widstrand att boken skulle sluta med "och katten sprang till skogs och kom aldrig mer igen" för så mindes han ramsan.

Men femtio år senare, i en ny upplaga, skrev Elsa Beskow till raden "Men kanske[br]ändå att han kom hem till slut" då flera barn blivit ledsna över det tidigare slutet.

Beskows bilder dominerade bilderbokskonsten under närmare 50 år och säkert har många av dagens bilderbokskonstnärer påverkats av hennes konst.

1952 erhöll Elsa Beskow Nils Holgersson-plaketten för sin samlade produktion. Det finns dessutom ett pris uppkallat efter henne, Elsa Beskow-plaketten, instiftat 1958 av Sveriges allmänna biblioteksförening.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published in 1939, as Ocke, Nutta, och Pillerill, this charming Swedish picture-book follows the adventures of two Acorn boys - Woody and Little Pip - and a young Hazelnut girl named (what else?) Hazel, who all find themselves far from home one sunny Autumn day. Climbing aboard a large oak leaf, Woody and Pip are blown across the forest, and - having landed in the midst of some gnomes doing laundry - are pressed into the delivery business. Meanwhile, Hazel hitches a ride with Mr. Squirrel, when he goes in search of the missing Acorn boys, and also finds herself abroad in the woods. Meeting up, the three children have many wonderful adventures - floating downstream on a home-made raft, playing with the Chestnut boys - before they are eventually returned to the bosom of their worried families.

Although I wouldn't describe the story of Woody, Hazel, and Little Pip as one of my favorites, when it comes to the slew of Elsa Beskow books I've been reading lately, it is still quite engaging, from a visual perspective. It's not that there's anything specifically wrong with the story, of course - although I do think that titles like The Sun Egg and Children of the Forest are superior explorations of the "elfin creatures of the woodland" theme - but it just didn't grab me. Beskow's artwork, on the other hand, is just lovely, perfectly capturing the warm light of an Autumn landscape, and the insouciant charm of her forest dwelling characters. Recommended to young readers who enjoy tales of "little people," and to fans of Beskow's artwork.

[Theodore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me and little Pip have the same name!

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Much as I love Beskow's artwork (and no changes in that here--it is delightful! Wait until you see the spiderweb telephone and the little hats the children wear!) this story really wasn't that engaging for me. I hate to say it, but the some of the characters seemed almost petty or at least superficial. The words didn't match the warmth and humor and joy of the artwork, for me. Still, I recommend it to fans of Beskow!

[Jinnie Stork · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastisk vers och rim! Den skogbaserade fantasin är eggande, och känns igen från barndomen. Bilderna är som vanligt med Beskow bedårande. Värd läsning!

[Julie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the greatest book of autumn adventure ever written for little readers.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

A darling book to read to usher in the Autumn season!

Woody and Little Pip think it’d be awfully fun to ride a leaf on the wind, but it’s more of a wild ride than they expected and land quite a distance from home. They encounter some grumpy old lady gnomes and a troll before their adventures are over.

Absolutely delightful illustrations!

Ages: 4 - 8

Cleanliness: “thank goodness” is said.

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[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like a cross between Cicely Mary Barker and Beatrix Potter.

[a ☕︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

adorable. love their little caps and twilight fairy rings (with acorn coffee served). the moral of this story is everyone in the enchanted woodlands is a petty jerk, except if they are a five-year-old (lol).

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Årets bok hemma hos oss

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Årets första bok!

Jag älskar Elsa Beskow, både hennes illustrationer och fyndiga rim. Men jag skulle önska att alla hennes verk omarbetades och de stycken som handlade om barnaga togs bort. Det vore trevligare, än att det fortfarande fanns med. Det är liksom inget en vill läsa om för barn. Precis som Lindgrens verk omarbetades borde Beskows verk kunna omarbetas.

Annars en rolig liten bilderbok om Ocke, Nutta och Pillerills äventyr.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ratings: art - 5, story - 3

Beskow's art is worth studying; each frame is full of details that contribute to the story. Pictured on the cover is a horse chestnut showing both fruit and leaf shape. In addition to tree species, several mushroom groups are illustrated- Russula, Amanita, Morel, ... Someone who knows about spiders and insects may be able to identify the ones included here. Scientific accuracy is always a nice touch.

I'd like to know how the original tale compares with this translation. Instead of following the text, the kids and I would 'invent' the story based on the art.

[Tyler McGaughey · Rating 1 out of 5]

An interminable book about a magic forest filled with complete assholes.

[Lucy Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

saved this book from being binned at work. just read it now and i love it so much. needed this today

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another adorable Elsa Beskow story.

[Nelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hittade denna hemma hos svärföräldrarna och kunde bara inte låta bli att läsa om den. En favorit från när jag var liten! Så himla fin!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for a short read, the artwork was particularly engaging. I wouldn’t really anticipate reading it more than once, but regardless it’s cute and has a lot to offer in terms of imagery, especially for any kiddos that have an interest in fairies and the woods. Does not have really any diversity, granted there is not very many human-esqe characters in the first place. Hopefully no kids take inspiration to get lost in the woods after this in search of gnome beards, haha.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, wholesome story about 2 boys who were asked to go gather acorns but decided to go for a ride on a leaf and it flies them away and they land among some gnomes who are washing the gnome beards. Mr. Squirrel offers to help look when they are found to be missing and a little girl hides in his tail and goes with him. It's a fun little adventure. Not rhyming and a fair amount of words on a page, so probably best for 4 and older.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tale of children in the woods, where nothing terrible happens, mostly because there are other’s looking out for them all along the way, whether they know it or not. I love Beskow’s artwork: the costumes are so beautifully specific for children of acorn, hazelnut, and chestnut, as are those of the other creatures—squirrel, trolls, gnomes, and a little old man who lives in a toadstool.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite a wordy picture book; probably a three-year-old would not sit still for it, but a five-, six-, or seven-year old probably would, especially if they like adventure stories featuring small, fairy-type creatures. And this is quite the adventure story, with lovely retro illustrations by the author.

[Alicia Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very promising characters and premise, but the story just wasn't there. It seems like the story could have been lengthened to make a more engaging narrative arc. The illustrations are fantastic. It could probably be turned into a charming animated short film.

[Sarah Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations were, as always, whimsical & beautiful. The story was cute and humorous too. I didn’t love the parents’ view of punishment and naughty children. Not my favorite of Beskow’s but still cute. 3.5 stars.

[Sirkku · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this one, very nostalgic as I remember this from my childhood. Really liked the well done pictures and the story.

I also really liked the concept of forest fairy/lil humans running in plant theme clothes.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars! Absolutely beautiful artwork with a darling story to match it. Some may consider the story long for a picture book but so many lower caliber books should be set aside to give this one space in your home library!

[Luana Rizea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foarte drăguță. O poveste polițistă, în care doi copii ghindă sunt luați pe sus și...se pornește în căutarea lor. O mică aventură pentru cei mici, mici și frumoși.
Ilustrații frumos realizate, colorate, pline de viață.

[Private Account · Rating 3 out of 5]

My six year old liked this book. I thought it was fine. Nothing special. Fine.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautifully illustrated adventure story captured the interest of my 2 year old son. I was amazed that he was sitting spellbound for such a long story.

-Mom

[Elizabeth Crisfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for my 4.5 year old. Illustrations bring the story to life. We haven't read much like this, but it reminds me of Beatrice Potter.

[Shu Xiao · Rating 4 out of 5]

“And so our story ends, just when everything is at its best.”

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? It's Elsa Beskow. Her illustrations are so lovely. I love the whimsical natured themes involved in her stories.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute fairytale story. Pictures are gorgeous. Definitely has that early 1900s preachy feel, but it's not bad. Ending is abrupt.