Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve?

This book tells the tale of a boy finding a polar bear cub and taming her into a renowned dancing bear. In this telling Brett focuses on the encounter with trolls on Christmas Eve while on their way to Oslo. The boy arrives with the bear at the house where the girl Kyri is preparing the food the trolls will steal; her father has gone off to try to stop the troll from reaching the house. The bear ends up driving off the trolls.There is another telling of this story available:  Sister Bear: A Norse Tale  by Jane Yolen. Yolan reinterprets the tale into a tale of a girl finding the bear. She has the owner of the house present, but only as he and his family leave, wanting to be gone before the trolls arrive. That eliminates the (chaste) boy-girl angle of this version. "Sister Bear" ends up taking care of the trolls, then moving on to success with the King of Denmark. The bear, again, is the hero, driving off the trolls.Comparing the books is challenging. They are both well written, but take the tale from different perspectives. The illustrations in "Sister Bear" are a bit more opulent, while those in "Who's That Knocking ..." are more rustic, and have a more period feel.Forced to choose, I'd take "Who's That Knocking ..." by a bear's whisker. But I could see getting both as a lesson on how tales can be told more than one way.

This is for my Grandsons 3 and 5 for a pre-Xmas gift. I love Jan Brett books, the illustrations are amazing!!

Good seller and book arrived safely.Story ok.

Jan Brett is THE best illustrator ever! Her (mostly) Nordic children's stories are delightful, but her intricately detailed pictures are truly works of art! Just lovely!

An absolute favorite holiday book for the family.

Arrived promptly and intact! Thank you.

I taught Pre K and Kindergarten in a public school for 34 years. This book was among my students' favorites. There was enough action and drama to capture the attention of the most street-wise boys. The story was fast-paced and the kids didn't know what might happen next. Kids who would never dream of misbehaving love to hear about "bad characters"! I just bought this book for my four-year-old grandson who adores super hero stories, because I just know he'll love those trolls. It will present a good opportunity to discuss kind treatment of pets and good manners.

Mom thought it was weird, but daughter (who tends to scare easily) just said it was "funny" and that we should give it "definitely five stars." She thought it was funny that the bad trolls got scared away, that they bounced off the walls and windows, and that the littlest troll thought that the polar bear was a kitty.

Brilliant art work & the perfect gift for a young one!

Got to love her books and the art is awesome!

Beautifully illustrated and a great story