User login

The Race of the Birkebeiners (Library Binding)

By Lise Lunge-Larsen, Mary Azarian
$16.00
Special Order - Subject to Availability
Related Editions
More...

Description

When they went into battle they wore no costly armor, just birchbark wrapped around their legs, and so they were called Birkebeiners, which means “Birchleggers.” It is the year 1206, and deep in the snow-covered mountains and valleys of Norway the fiercest warriors in the land struggle to ski a baby to safety. They race against the greed and inequity of the rich, against the very weather of Norway. They race as the only way to save a child prince and bring peace to their country.
Here is a true, untold story of both bravery and tenderness. Mary Azarian’s strong, sure woodcuts capture the warmth and ruggedness of medieval life, while Lise Lunge-Larsen’s dramatic telling is direct and mesmerizing.

About the Author

Caldecott Medalist Mary Azarian is a consummate gardener and a skilled and original woodblock artist. Many of her prints are heavily influenced by her love of gardening, and her turn-of-the-century farmhouse is surrounded by gardens that reveal an artist's vision. Mary Azarian received the 1999 Caldecott Medal for SNOWFLAKE BENTLEY, written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin. She lives, skis, and gardens in Vermont.

Praise for The Race of the Birkebeiners…

"Set in old Scandinavia, this exciting, snow-swept folktale comes to life in beautifully composed woodcut illustrations. . . . The simple, dramatic language captures the story’s danger and characters’ courage with pacing that is well-suited for read-alouds, but it’s Azarian’s richly colored woodcuts that children will connect with most." Booklist, ALA

Product Details ISBN-10: 0618103139
ISBN-13: 9780618103133
Published: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 09/01/2001
Pages: 32
Language: English
Recommended Reading Level Minimum Age: 4
Maximum Age: 8
Minimum Grade Level: Preschool
Maximum Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Related Editions (all)