THE TROLL MUSIC

The illustrations are even more appealing than the ones Mrs. Lobel did for the widely praised Sven's Bridge (1965, p. 529 J-177). In her highly distinctive Swedish folk-art style, they show a minutely detailed, very enchanted looking forest, a lovably homely family of trolls, and a particularly attractive group of peasants--all set off in translucent colors which capture the pastoral spirit. The pictures are full-size, sometimes double spread, and even the text pages are framed in decorative borders. The story, which deals with a band of travelling musicians placed under a spell by a bad-tempered troll so that only animal sounds came out of their instruments, plays second fiddle to the illustrations but harmonizes well. The beastly noises will charm young children and the narrative maintains the folk aura. A handsome eyeful, especially for the lingering lookers.