Starred Review When readers meet nine-year-old Trille and his best friend Lena, Lena is barely hanging onto the rope they have strung between their houses' second-floor windows, and Trille is frantically hauling his parents' mattress down the stairs and out to the yard to save her. It's a fitting introduction, since Lena races headlong into every crazy scheme they concoct, with Trille following close behind. Set in a tiny seaside community in Norway, the story contains other adventures, such as the duo's amusing attempt to re-create Noah's Ark with a rowboat and livestock. Although two events threaten to overwhelm Trille with a sense of loss, one ends well and, after the other, he finds comfort in family and friends. Trille's accessible first-person narrative shares both his adventures and his feelings, which run the gamut from terror to grief to elation. Parr creates a strong sense of the characters as individuals, especially Lena, Trille, and Trille's grandfather. For all its emotional resonance, the narrative is never soppy. In fact, humor plays a big part in this rewarding book. Published first in Norway and translated into 20 languages, this appealing chapter book has a distinctive setting, plenty of humor, and unusual emotional clarity.

Gr 3-5 In this delightful Norwegian import, two friends, a boy nicknamed Trille and his best friend, Lena, get into some hair-raising, frequently hilarious, and, sometimes, injury-inducing escapades over the course of a year. Narrated by Trille in a realistically childlike, first-person voice, the novel is fresh and fast-paced. While readers will chuckle at the friends' adventuresand marvel at their chutzpahtheir mouths will also water at the frequency with which waffles, clearly a popular Norwegian treat, figure into the story. Children will relate to Trille's anxiety about whether he is Lena's best pal, a worry extinguished in a final, harrowing episode that, fortunately, ends well. Silhouettes, featured on the charming cover, also highlight chapter openings and provide a cozy, friendly feel. Readers may occasionally be put off by Lena's portrayal as too proud, stubborn, and reckless for her own good, but they'll appreciate her resourcefulness and strength of character anyway. Purchasers should note some religious overtones and Christian references. VERDICT Recommended for public and school libraries, this will be useful as supplementary material in units about day-to-day life in another country.— Carol Goldman, Queens Library, NY