Louhi, Witch of North Farm: A Story from Finland's Epic Poem the Kalevala'

by Toni Degerez and Toni de Gerez

Book Overview

Louhi's plan to steal the sun and the moon backfires when the gods learn of her mischievous scheme.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140505296
• ISBN13: 9780140505290
• Release Date: October 1988
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 8.3" x 10.9"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Just Super, A Very Good Children's Classic

Louhi is a witch and is there anybody who doesn't love a good story about a witch? Witches, double, double, toil and trouble. Wait! That's from the Bard, this story isn't one of his, but as I said, it's about a witch and it was told before the bard was even a twinkle in his father's eye. One day many years ago in Finland's frozen north Louhi woke with nothing to do. She could change herself into anything, be whatever she wanted, but she wanted to do something different, so she decided to go skiing. However, she wasn't on the skis very long before she decided to take flight, so she went skiing into the sky. Soaring above the earth she heard some beautiful music. It must be Vainamoinen, because nobody could make music like him. His music was so beautiful that the sun and moon came down to listen, perching themselves on nearby trees. Louhi changed into an eagle, flew to the trees, grabbed the moon in one talon, the sun in the other and she took them to her cabin and hid them behind nine great locks, behind nine great doors and there was no more light in the world. Of course, Vainamoinen tries to get them back and fails, then he goes to Seppo the great smith and asks him to make another sun and moon. Seppo does, but they don't take away the dark, so Seppo decides to make an iron collar and nine terrible chains to wrap wound the skinny neck of Louhi. When the wicked witch finds out, she is afraid and returns the sun and moon and there is light again. This is a story that was told around campfires centuries ago and it's retold here by Toni de Gerez with gorgeous pictures by Barbara Cooney. I am always on the lookout for the basis of a good story and I think I have a horror story in me and I think I've just found the genesis. If God smiles her gently grace down on me, sometime in the next year I'll finish and I think I have the title SHAPE CHANGER, or maybe NORTH WITCH, or maybe just LOUHI. Reviewed by Ken Douglas

A VERY PLEASING BOOK.

This, of course, is a retake on the wonderful Finish Folk Tale, Kalevala. I am not going to ruin the tale here by going into a blow by blow account here, as Publisher's Weekly did above (hey guys, why not just go ahead and retell the tale for us on all your reviews and save us the time spent reading the original). There will be no spoilers here. This basically is the tale of a witch, a rather grumpy lovable witch. While I do agree with PW in that this version is not as good as the original, it certainly will do for a kids book and this is what this one is. The art work by Barbara Cooney is fantastic, some of the best I have seen for quite some time now. The text is clear and concise. This is a wondeful read along book and one you will want to add to your collection. Highly recommend this work.

a special book

Beautifully illustrated and written, an unusual story of magic, nature, and the age-old battle between good and bad, with the bad being a grumpy, tantrum-throwing, but all in all, rather endearing witch. My daughter's favorite for many, many years.

a classic

I learned to read with this book, and now, as an adult, i am still in love with it. It has beautifull illustrations and a great plot.