3 stars
Something’s wrong in the forest. There are strange noises and mysterious destruction, and now the treasure is missing! But each time the three little Vikings bring their concerns to the Chieftain, he meets them with the same refrain: “I know best.”
This book has fantastic messages about speaking up when something is wrong, not being afraid to go against authority, using evidence to make decisions, and taking action when others won’t.
As always, Woollvin’s artwork is fantastic. I really love her style. Because there are three protagonists, it was little hard to keep straight who was who, so I appreciated that Woollvin included their initials on their attire (H on Helga’s button, W on Wren’s bag, and E on Ebba’s satchel).
I loved so many aspects of this book: the characters, the messages, the art style. But for me, the subtle violence in the “unusually large fire” at the end was a bit weird. See below for spoiler.
Overall, a fun read with some fantastic, empowering messages.
Spoiler: The mysterious creature ends up being a troll, which the girls lure into the sunlight to turn into a tree (still with the troll’s face). They then burn the wood during their victory celebration. Unclear whether this was necessary or not. Would the troll have turned back at sunset? Was this a permanent transformation?