Seven Ways to Trick A Troll, Troll Mountain Illustration
Illustration by Kari Vick
How can a clever, courageous child beat a terrifying troll? Well, by tricking him, of course. It’s not so hard. After all, a troll’s brain is smaller than even the tiniest child’s fist, and children are smart and brave in nature. They just need a few techniques up their sleeves.
That’s where Lise Lunge-Larsen comes in.
The Duluth-based children’s book author’s newest tale, Seven Ways to Trick a Troll, gives kids the toolkit to beat even the biggest, scariest trolls.
“And here I mean Norwegian trolls, which are giants, not those cute ones in the troll movie [Dreamworks’ Trolls],” Lunge-Larsen clarifies.
Kari Vick’s illustrations depict just how creepy, wart-covered, and towering these Norwegian trolls look—especially to kids. The pictures draw from real places (and real elements of troll-related culture) she saw during her travels in Norway. The trip made her scrap almost all of her original ideas for the book and pull from mountains, churches, and bogs she saw in troll country.
During Lunge-Larsen’s 40 years as a storyteller, she has always been captivated by troll stories. She first wrote about trolls in 1999, introducing American children (she’s originally from Norway) to the terrifying, but dim-witted, Norwegian trolls. Though the book achieved success, she knew she wasn’t finished with the creatures. There were far more stories to tell. So she kept writing, adding troll stories to her literary toolbelt, and conferenced with kids along the way. She wanted to know kids’ thoughts on trolls—and what they would do to beat them.
“I have come to realize that a story may be scary, but if the solution to the scary situation is one the children understand and feel they could have done themselves, the scary part is manageable,” Lunge-Larsen says. “So the stories are really empowering for the child.”
Seven Ways to Trick a Troll
You see, the trolls in the stories aren’t just trolls. They’re an all-encompassing metaphor for all of life’s bad, ugly, scary problems. Norwegian playwright Henrik Isben once said, “To live is to war with trolls in heart and soul.” Today’s children often have no shortage of worries and problems of their own – from playground bullies to world events – and Lunge-Larsen hopes the book gives them (and grownups) the confidence to remember they hold the tools to take life into their own hands. Trolls and life can both be intimidating, but Lunge-Larsen wants to remind everyone that they’re clever and brave enough to persevere. She gives us the hope to believe that today, the trolls won’t win.
Learn how to trick a troll at these upcoming book release events:
November 25, 12–2 p.m., The Bookstore at Fitger's, 600 E. Superior St., Duluth, fitgersbookstore.com
November 25, 3–4 p.m., Zenith Bookstore, 318 Central Ave. N., Duluth, zenithbookstore.com
December 16, 11 a.m.–1 p.m., Norway House, 913 Franklin Ave. E., Mpls., upress.umn.edu
December 16, 4 p.m., Magers & Quinn, 3038 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls., magersandquinn.com
