Christmas is Treva’s favorite time of year, especially the preparations — finding the perfect tree, decorating the house, and making presents for her family. But this year is different. Small things are disappearing, then some of the presents themselves. Treva is mystified, until early one morning she sees a small creature scurrying across the snow, carrying the Christmas pudding. Treva races after it into the forest where her adventures are just beginning. . .
Christmas Trolls is a glorious celebration of the season as Treva confronts two irresistible trolls who don’t understand Christmas. Jan Brett’s exquisite paintings set against beautiful, intricate borders give readers a magical Christmas full of surprises.
(Look closely at the borders for glimpses of the trolls’ special little helper — and he’s not an elf!)
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About the author
Jan Brett
103 books 870 followers
With over thirty three million books in print, Jan Brett is one of the nation’s foremost author illustrators of children’s books. Jan lives in a seacoast town in Massachusetts, close to where she grew up. During the summer her family moves to a home in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts.
As a child, Jan Brett decided to be an illustrator and spent many hours reading and drawing. She says, “I remember the special quiet of rainy days when I felt that I could enter the pages of my beautiful picture books. Now I try to recreate that feeling of believing that the imaginary place I’m drawing really exists. The detail in my work helps to convince me, and I hope others as well, that such places might be real.” As a student at the Boston Museum School, she spent hours in the Museum of Fine Arts. “It was overwhelming to see the room-size landscapes and towering stone sculptures, and then moments later to refocus on delicately embroidered kimonos and ancient porcelain,” she says. “I’m delighted and surprised when fragments of these beautiful images come back to me in my painting.”
Travel is also a constant inspiration. Together with her husband, Joe Hearne, who is a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Jan visits many different countries where she researches the architecture and costumes that appear in her work. “From cave paintings to Norwegian sleighs, to Japanese gardens, I study the traditions of the many countries I visit and use them as a starting point for my children’s books.” –from www.janbrett.com
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2,239 ratings 129 reviews
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962 (42%)
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731 (32%)
3 stars
436 (19%)
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76 (3%)
1 star
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Displaying 1 – 30 of 129 reviews
4,122 reviews 31.2k followers
I loved this beautiful book with it’s Northern setting. A family is bringing home a Christmas tree they cut down in the woods and they are bringing home more than they bargained for – Trolls. Christmas items begin to disappear all around the house and Treva figures out who is taking their things. A hedgehog comes into play in this story and I wonder if he is related to Hedgie. Treva teaches the trolls all about Christmas and what it means and she herself has her understanding expanded by helping them.
It’s a beautiful book with Jan’s amazing borders of artwork. Sometime they are on the side, the bottom or the top. The artwork has some detailed Nordic or Lapland looking architecture and symbols. The details Jan gives are stunning. She is one of my favorite authors of children’s books.
It’s Christmas and the niece likes to read the Christmas books with us sometimes. So, we all read this, together again. She loved this book and thought the trolls were so very cute. She gave this 4 stars. The nephew thought the trolls were so much better than the Dreamworks trolls and very funny. He liked Mig and Tig. He gave this book 5 stars. He wanted to get a Hedgehog too. He also enjoyed the reindeer that the children owned in the book. They have been trying to get a chicken for the yard and their parents won’t even let them have a chicken and these kids, in the story, get a reindeer. The niblings are going to lodge a complaint.
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35 likes
7,201 reviews 193 followers
That clever little heroine Treva, who debuted in author/artist Jan Brett’s Trouble with Trolls , returns in this second picture-book devoted to her adventures. Getting ready for Christmas, together with her parents and little brother Sami, she is surprised when decorations and gifts begin to go missing. When she spots the family’s Christmas pudding being stolen by a hedgehog, she gives chase, and discovers that the erinaceous thief has been bringing the missing Christmas accoutrements to two trolls. Pitying the quarrelsome pair, who want Christmas for themselves, but don’t really understand what it is, she sets out to show them.
Like its predecessor, Christmas Trolls pairs an engaging story featuring a feisty young heroine with a can-do attitude, with beautiful, detailed artwork. I loved all of the little folkloric details in the illustrations here, which are clearly Scandinavian in nature. Treva’s most treasured possession is a Swedish Dalecarlian horse, for instance – a symbol of Dalarna. The folk costumes and decorations, the Christmas customs, they are all beautifully captured. As always with Brett’s work, the side panels provide more of the story than is revealed in the text alone, here showing the hedgehog’s activities, first in stealing and then in restoring the Christmas goodies. Recommended to anyone who enjoyed the previous story about Treva, or who is looking for Christmas stories with a Scandinavian flavor.
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6 likes
1,566 reviews
The illustrations are beautiful and give such a wonderful Christmas, winter wonderland feeling. The story is about a little girl that notices missing objects while she and her family are getting ready for the Christmas holiday. She shares the spirit of Christmas after find the culprits.
5 likes
414 reviews 1 follower
DD favorite Christmas book this year (2018)
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4 likes
15 reviews 28 followers
Jan Brett’s Christmas Trolls is set in Bergen, Norway and follows siblings Treva and Sami as they prepare for Christmas. Christmas decorations, food, clothing and even a Christmas pudding start to go missing and Treva discovers that trolls are stealing from her family! Treva worries that her most prized possession, a red Dalecarlian horse, will go missing before she can solve the mystery. Treva and her reindeer Arni follow one of the trolls to its home and find all of the family’s belongings heaped in a pile. Treva finds two trolls, a brother and sister named Mig & Tig, squabbling over all the items that they had pilfered. She also finds that the trolls think that Christmas comes from the items that they’ve stolen. Treva teaches them how to decorate for Christmas, make crafts, how to be kind to one another and, most importantly, about the spirit of generosity. Before she leaves, she models generosity by giving the trolls her wooden horse. Treva packs up all the stolen goods and heads home just in time for Christmas morning! When Treva and Sami wake up to a beautiful tree with gifts underneath, they soon find that Mig and Tig have left a Christmas surprise on the front step, just for Treva; a wild and wonderful handmade troll horse!
As with so many Jan Brett books, her intricate illustrations and use of framing is very important and this is no different in The Christmas Trolls. As we watch the story unfold from Treva’s point of view, we get the pleasure of seeing the subplot of the Mig and Tig and their pet hedgehog watching, plotting and ultimately “stealing Christmas” from Treva’s family, item by item. As the trolls learn about the true meaning of Christmas from Treva, we see their pet hedgehog moving the stolen items and packing up Treva’s sled. We then see the hedgehog bring the a wrapped paper package containing the trolls gift for Treva. The final opening of the book shows the trolls and hedgehog, in the framing, cuddling with their gifted horse on Christmas morning.
As a child I loved this story and as I re-read it for my author study, I felt a rush of nostalgia wash over me. Brett’s books are fairly straightforward, but the beautiful, intricate illustrations combined with simple story are surprisingly effective. The story-within-a-story element that her framing offers gives an extra level of interest to Christmas Trolls. For all these reasons, Brett remains one of my favorite author and illustrators to this day!
3 likes
30 reviews
Treva is a sweet young girl who clearly understands what Christmas is all about. Her and her family get all ready and decorated for Christmas. They soon realize that some of their decorations and Christmas presents are disappearing. Treva sees something travel into the woods, and she follows. It turns out there are two trolls, Wig and Tig, who are taking her families Christmas stuff because they want to experience Christmas as well. In the end, Treva teaches the trolls that Christmas is about giving and that it is more fun to get a long with one another than to argue and steal.
3 likes
5,287 reviews 4 followers
This book is set in one of the Scandinavian countries, presumably Sweden. Treva and Sami ride a reindeer and have a husky dog. In this story, someone is stealing Christmas gifts and decorations from Treva and Sami’s house. The borders at the bottom of the illustrations give a hint as to the culprits. Great paintings and cute story.
3 likes
161 reviews 2 followers
This was one of my favourite books as a child. The art is beyond gorgeous, with intricate details and little hidden things to find on every page, and the story is sweet and has a great sentiment. An absolutely wonderful children’s story, I couldn’t recommend it more highly!
3 likes
2,009 reviews 123 followers
A book my 6 yr old as well as my twin 3 yr olds loved. A solid reading level 1 book, this cute story keeps all ages engaged with the bright colorful pictures and cute story. A great addition to any children’s library.
3 likes
812 reviews 60 followers
Beautiful detailed illustrations and a good story too.
2 likes
6,332 reviews 9 followers
Treva teaches the trolls that you can’t steal Christmas — you have to live it by being generous and kind to each other.
2 likes
2,429 reviews
A young girl named Treva discovers that some trolls are taking her family’s Christmas decorations and gifts in order to have Christmas themselves. She helps them learn that Christmas is about giving rather than receiving. A lovely Christmas story with beautiful illustrations in Brett’s signature style.
2 likes
3,971 reviews 80 followers
A story, beautifully illustrated by Jan Brett!
Treva clearly knows the true meaning of Christmas!
As she tells the trolls:
“Now, if you really want Christmas, you must be generous with each other. If you do that, you will have Christmas right here in your troll house.”
But my favorite character is not Treva or the trolls. It is the little hedgehog you can fin the side panels. I just love Hedgie!!
2 likes
679 reviews 7 followers
This author’s books are consistently beautiful. the artwork is detailed, and every page has unique and interesting borders and letters. The setting seems to be like northern Europe. In this book, the girl finds that trolls are using a hedgehog to steal presents from her home. But she discovers that the solution is compassion and generosity.
2 likes
3,539 reviews 59 followers
I read this book today to my third and fourth grade library classes. We used it to compare that Christmas to ours as well as discuss the real meaning of Christmas. What a fun book to read. The kids really enjoyed it. Jan Brett is a treasure.
2 likes
122 reviews 4 followers
There is nothing by Jan Brett I don’t love. In fact much of our homeschool incorporates her books. This was a very sweet Christmas book. I love the kindness these books always show. This book was kind and festive and beautifully illustrated.
2 likes
1,341 reviews 5 followers
Perhaps set in Sweden or a far north country. Or maybe Ukrain or Poland, from the toy doll I saw. The illustrations are very beautiful.
A very nice story time read.
Only two human characters; the girl on the cover and her brother.
2 likes
27 reviews 4 followers
Another favorite of my children at holiday time.
2 likes
198 reviews 22 followers
I’m oddly protective of trolls. I would’ve enjoyed this one more with a slightly more fleshed out story, but as always the detail and charm adorn every page.
2 likes
1,422 reviews 15 followers
A cute story of a girl showing some trolls what the spirit of Christmas is really about. And of course Jan Brett’s illustrations are gorgeous!
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2 likes
1,983 reviews
Love the message in this book.
2 likes
1,170 reviews 6 followers
Natalie’s favorite Jan Brett book (so far). 🙂
2 likes
4,056 reviews 9 followers
Sharing IS caring.
2 likes
759 reviews 14 followers
I enjoyed the story.
2 likes
1,038 reviews 117 followers
This is a children’s picture book about a Scandinavian family who run into problems when trolls try to be mischievous and ruin their Christmas.
1 like
2,613 reviews
My poor little heart just wants to live in a Jan Brett book 99% of the time.
1 like
434 reviews 377 followers Read
Such a cute story with beautiful illustrations.
1 like
988 reviews 11 followers
I didn’t like this book at all. I was going to write that I didn’t like anything about it but then I remembered I liked some of the illustrations of the architecture and the reindeer and some of the scroll work on the side. But on the whole the colors were subdued and mostly earth tones with very little red and blue added. The characters were ugly and disturbing to look at. That girl looked hella stupid on that reindeer, had the dumbest smile I’ve perhaps ever seen.
I couldn’t stand the trolls. Not only are they hideous, with their stupid mouths hanging open, big pointed ears and big rounded noses with small bridges, and bushy white hair standing straight up, they’re thieves. They had a porcupine steal item after item from the family. Things started disappearing from the house, Christmas gifts and food, and the girl caught one item going up the hill. She followed it and ended up at the troll’s house. They came down from the tree and took the item and started fighting over it. No.
The girl said those were her Christmas things and they had “Mine” over and over. I was so mad! I expected her to say, you can’t steal from others but she didn’t even say anything about the fact that they had stolen! All she said was that you can’t take Christmas.
They “wanted” Christmas, like it was a material object and they were selfish and stupid and annoying. And hideous. Then the girl set about decorating their home, while the porcupine returned all of the items to her sleigh. They didn’t even apologize for stealing or return the things; the animal did.
Then this dumb girl gave her favorite toy horse to them. She “knew she had to” and I’m like they don’t deserve anything from you, much less your favorite item. I hated that decision and didn’t agree with it at all. She told to play together and have fun, and that if they’re generous they would have Christmas. They didn’t even thank her for the horse.
For Christmas they sent a horse they had made for her. I was hoping they would give her horse back because they were undeserving losers, but no, they just made her a new horse and kept hers.
This was a stupid story, with stupid, ugly characters. The only thing that can be taken away is to share and give at Christmas and that’s about it.
Christmas
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Here's a Christmas drawing.
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Here's the twins and Josh with Ashlyn and Archer cute Pastry family.
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Here's the broppy family together for Christmas aren't they cute together?
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Here's Ashlyn and Archer together.
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Here's Archer, Ashlyn and Cerise under the mistletoe.
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Here's Orchid and Twig enjoying the snow. I enjoy drawing Orchid in purple. And Twig here they are.
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Here's the Twins in Christmas outfit. Her Axe in Christmas bow. Here it is.
Orchid belongs to Gnomegirl95 Cerise belongs tumbler user Gabi-Trollstic.
