Per and the Dala Horse

by Rebecca Hickox Ayres

When a Swedish farmer dies, his eldest son inherits the farm, a sturdy workhorse, and a plow. The middle son comes by a fine riding horse, and Per, the youngest, receives a handsomely carved and painted Dala horse. Though his brothers laugh, Per guesses that his horse will prove useful. And when the trolls of the underworld work their mischief, neither the workhorse nor the riding horse can compare with Per's magnificent Dala horse.

Genres: Picture Books, Christmas, Childrens, Fantasy

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

AKA Rebecca Hickox

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story written in a traditional style. Every year at the Norsk Høstfest I purchase a Scandinavian themed book from the book store. I try to find books that are traditional stories directly from one of the Scandinavian countries. I picked out this book primarily because of the beautiful illustrations and the fact that it was about the Dalahäster. Sadly, it wasn't until after purchasing the book I discovered it is only loosely based on a traditional Swedish folktale which is why I gave it 4 stars out of 5. The story is pleasant but predictable and the illustrations are beautiful.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is an element of the genre of children receiving items from their deceased father where the best one appears at first to be the least. It opens with a farmer dying and willing different things to his three sons. Nils, the eldest, receives the farm and the powerful workhorse, the middle child Erik gets the fine riding horse and the boy Per receives a small, carved wooden horse that is beautifully painted. It is said that the wooden horse was given to the father by a spirit of the forest.
To the practical Nils and Erik, the little wooden horse is of little value. Yet, when trolls steal the gold communion cup from the local church, there is an uproar and a reward for the return is offered. Nils and Erik both take a turn in trying to retrieve the cup, only to be bested by the trolls. Finally, Per invokes the magic of his wooden horse and is able to retrieve the cup and claim the reward. With it, he purchases a small farm that he expands into significant holdings. At the end, he leaves the wooden horse to his youngest son.
The source notes are an excellent supplement to the story, giving the backdrop of the Dala horses that have been hand carved in Sweden for over 150 years. The author combines that craft with a Swedish legend called “Retrieving the Cup” to create a delightful story about the power of gifts and the foolishness of judging them too soon.

[Carfig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three sons, a dying father. The youngest son, Per, gets a little, red wooden horse. He loves it, but his brothers scoff. Until the trolls steal a golden cup, and neither older brother can bring it back. per tells them to bring his wooden horse, but they won't listen. He must do it, of course!

beautifully illustrated in rich Nordic colors, clothing, and interiors.

[Jane Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated fictionalized retelling of an old Swedish folktale. I purchased a dala horse when I was in Sweden but never knew the story behind it. The added bonus for me was the inclusion of trolls in the story.

[Miranda Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book by these beautiful Swedish illustrations. They are full of vibrant colors and intricate details. This story is a take-off of a traditional Swedish tale called "Retrieving the Cup". In this traditional tale, there is no mention of a Dala horse; the young man in the story rescuing the communion cup by plowing crosses and cutting his horse's mane and tail so the trolls could not grab them and stop them. I like how this author changed the tale to include three brothers. This made the story more like a competition between the brothers to see who can save the day. I like how the littlest brother ended up regaining the communion cup when the older brothers thought he couldn't do it. They didn't believe that the wooden horse was special. The brothers' father left them with everything he owned when he died. He gave his eldest the farm, workhorse, and plow. The second oldest got his father's finest riding horse. The littlest brother was left with only the wooden Dala horse. In the end, this horse gave the littlest boy the most wealth because of the reward money he received for retrieving the communion cup. I like how the author incorporated the traditional trolls, which are common in Swedish folktales. The trickster trolls are always trying to trick humans into drinking their brew to enslave them. I wish that the author would have included more details about these Swedish folktales because it seems like she only briefly brushed them. In all, I enjoyed this book a lot and think it would make a great addition to my future classroom.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malcolm says,"I like horses, I like trolls, I like painting wooden horses. I like trying to get cups back from trolls, and I like people trying to get cups with wooden horses that were just painted and they're just wood."

[Skedatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was mostly the illustrations that set this book apart. And the fact that she has a Nordic-looking troll wearing her baby in a sling in one of the sidebar pictures.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Per and the Dala Horse
Ayres, Rebecca Hickox
beautiful pictures

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations, great story.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looove love love the illustrations. (But who let the publisher use Papyrus for the title?)

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a classic youngest son fairy tale. The pictures are gorgeous.

[Carmen Hartono · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated, the story tells of three sons and their understanding as they receiving their inheritance from their father.

[Laura Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations!

[Anjanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter and I enjoyed this book. It was like a fable or fairy tale set to a Swedish background.