Welcome all to this first December post!! I will be starting this month off with this lovely Christmas read I found some time ago. I guess it was the the cover that inspired me to select this one as my first post. If you enjoy Christmas stories with a bit of a twist, then this is for you!!
Title: Winterfrost
Author: Michelle Houts
Publication details: Candlewick Press; Somerville, Mass (US), 2014
ISBN: 9780763665654
What this book is about: Twelve-year-old Bettina Larsen is left alone for a few days in charge of the family home, the barn, and her baby sister Pia. In the confusion leading to this, Bettina’s family neglects to set out the traditional Danish bowl of Christmas rice pudding for the tiny nisse, a gnome-like creature who’s rumored to look after the family and their livestock. Since it was only her grandfather Farfar who ever believed the nisse were real, Bettina doesn’t think any harm will come in forgetting this custom. But for one young and impetuous nisse, the lack of rice pudding is a very big deal. And when baby Pia disappears during an afternoon nap, Bettina finds herself trying to appease a nisse she’s not even sure she believes exists. With her parent’s return looming, Bettina must do everything she can to get her sister back and set things right – even if it means entering the magical world of the nisse.
My review: A beautifully written Christmas book!! I loved the simplicity of this story!! Some exceptionally great characters in Bettina and the ‘nisse’. I found myself intrigued by the magical nature of the Danish folklore throughout this story. I thought that the main character of Bettina was a courageous and kind young girl and I especially loved the family bond that touches each and every character in this book. In my ideal world, I would be reading such books in the comfort of a warm and cosy room with a large quilted blanket over me and a warm cup of tea by my side!!
My rating: 5 ⭐
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 