Woody, Hazel and Little Pip: Mini Edition

With beautiful, fairyland illustrations, Elsa writes an enchanting tale of little people who live amongst woodland creatures and animals. Her stories always take me into childhood and help encourage the imagination of my own kids, who love to play in the woods and build fairy houses. They particularly love the idea that there are gnomes who need their beards hung up to wash, and they think that is what our Spanish moss here in the south is now that they've read this book! These books are in classic "Waldorf" style writing, but most of us with imagination just know its how a good story should be. I cannot recommend any of her books enough!

The illustrations are beautiful and the story is engaging. My kids are 5, 6 and 9 and have read it many times through the years. This was my first Elsa Beskow book, gifted to my daughter when she was 2, and I have sought out more of her works since then. My kids love that the characters are tiny little people who interact with animals around them.

I absolutely adore Elsa's books! They are delightful in every way. The stories and the illustrations are adorable. I can stare at her pictures for long periods of time.

This is not my favorite Beskow book, but it is still a delightful, engaging story with beautiful illustrations! These stories are as enjoyable for the adults reading them as they are for the children. I also highly recommend The Forest Children and The Flowers Festival, but really, all of her books are worth owning!

This book is so darling and charming. For some reason, when I cracked it open, I thought it would be too quiet for Benny (7) and too slow for Sadie (2). No. They were both riveted. It is a very precious little story about tiny little people who live in trees -- we never ascertained whether they were fairies or pixies or what. They have a little adventure and then everyone has a party. It's the detail of the illustrations, the thoughtful way in which this little world is completely imagined, and the boldness of the "naughty" children who go off on an oak leaf and end up delivering beards to trolls. Very good story! The children give it four thumbs up!

We love all of her books and buy them 1 at a time as we can afford them. In an age of big in your face pop up books and childrens books that make your eyes hurt these books are a wonderful find. As always the illustrations are beautiful with one big picture per page and the words on the opposite page. I read all the reviews first but few had actual specifics about the actual invdividual stories, so that's what I've done here. I hope it helps others know what wonderful books they are. I wish they were easier to find in Canada. Anyhow this is one of our latest purchases, It's about 2 boys Woody and Little Pip that are supposed to go out and gather acorns for the coming winter. It's very windy and they decide to go for a ride on the leaves that are being tossed high in the air, but the wind carries them far away and they crash in on some old women gnomes who are doing the wash of gnome beards. Pipand Woody end up having to deliver all the dried beards back to their owners. In the meantime Mrs. Acorn their mom is getting worried... along comes Mr. Squirrel who offers to go in search of them. Off he goes but doesn't realize little Hazel is hiding in his tail. He searches for the boys but has to stop and ddrop off hazel on toadstool as she is too dizzy to continue. He tells her to stay there, but she goes to help a lizard who is upset that 2 gnomes are in the hollow tree he cleaned for his friend mr. hedgehog. So she goes to check it out and it turns out to be Pip and Woody disguised as gnomes because of a troll who chased after them. The 3 of them decide to go home on a raft they built and they leave mr. lizard. On the way down the river they come upon the 3 chestnut boys who help them repair the raft after they accidentally damaged it. In the meantime Mr. squirrel finds woody, hazel and little pip and scolds them and takes them home. Mrs. acorn decides to throw a party for them even though mrs. hazelnut wonders if that is such a good idea since the children have been so naughty. The children are very sorry to have disappeared and Mrs. acorn lets them know she is thankful they are home. Mr. acorn arrives home with his 5 beetles in time for the party as they had been out planting oak trees. The party was fun with elves, bumble bees,mrs. fir, fieldmice and glow worms attending as well. Truly a magical tale!

Elsa Beskow's stories are over a half a century old. They are gentle and beautiful. Woody, Hazel and Little Pip are little forest children, belonging to the Acorn family. The children go on an unexpected adventure when they are swept up by an autumn wind. "Swirling and whirling" through the air on a leaf they are greeted by gnomes, a troll, a lizard and three little Chestnut boys. Nature is the essence of this story, as it is in many of Elsa's stories. This tale sparks the imagination of children and adult minds alike. I could sing praises Elsa and her stories for days on end. They are true classics.Don't wait to sample Elsa's tales, for they are getting harder and harder to find.