Beauty and the Beast – The Scandinavian Version

Here are two great books, one new and one old, that tell the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon, the Scandinavian version of Beauty and the BeastSun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George and East by Edith Pattou. East has been a favorite of mine for a long time and Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow is a 2008 favorite of mine.
SunAndMoonIceAndSnowEast.jpgIn summary, a great white bear appears at the home of a poor Scandinavian family. In return for a promise of family wealth, the bear asks that the young girl of the family come away and stay with him for a year in a palace. Unbeknownst to the young girl, the palace is an ice palace in the far, far north. The bear is a prince under an enchantment from an evil troll princess. As in Beauty and the Beast, they fall in love. However, the young girl must battle the troll princess in order to keep her prince.
Both books are well written, descriptive and engrossing. I highly recommend them. Let me know if you like them, after you’ve read them.
Ed Goldberg
Teen Services Librarian