The Stone Giant

"This lovely little gem of a book reads like a fairy tale. A little girl lives on a small island with her father, a knight. He goes off in pursuit of a dangerous giant that he reads about in the newspaper. His daughter is left alone to worry. When he doesn't return, she goes on a quest looking for him. She finds the creature and saves the day with a solution out of Greek mythology. The brief text nonetheless paints a believable picture of a hapless dad who is lucky to have a wise, intrepid daughter. The tone is gently humorous, especially as the reader sees the knight reading the newspaper, with his legs stretched out under the kitchen table. The illustrations are etchings with watercolor, and they simply and elegantly convey the story."

"Hoeglund, a contemporary Swedish children's-book creator, points to a story by legendary author/illustrator Elsa Beskow as this book's inspiration. Translated from Swedish, the third-person text, always printed on verso and surrounded by generous white space, is brief yet specific, prompting ponderous pauses throughout. True to fairy-tale tradition, everyday objects possess the key to salvation. However, in a contemporary twist, it is not an adult or knight in shining armor but the child who does the rescuing, not through beauty or kindness but with fortitude and determination."