Edda: A Little Valkyrie's First Day of School

by Adam Auerbach, Adam Auerbach (Illustrator)

Overview

Edda is a Valkyrie (an ancient Norse goddess who guides and protects heroes). She lives in a magical land called Asgard where she has everything she wants. Well . . . almost everything. Edda wants to find a friend her own age. Edda's wise papa knows of a place where she can make friends: a place on Earth called "school."

School is very different from Asgard. Edda's not sure if she likes it at first. But then she remembers that Valkyries are very brave. Even little Valkyries. Edda learns that being different is what makes her special and she begins to make new friends.

A Christy Ottaviano Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466874053
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	06/24/2014
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	25 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

ADAM AUERBACH is an illustrator and graphic designer from Brooklyn, New York. He was inspired to create Edda while listening to Richard Wagner's "Ring Cycle," a series of operas based on Norse mythology. Adam has always loved the stories of the rugged Norse gods and monsters.

Adam's illustrations have appeared on book covers and in numerous print publications, including The New York Times and School Library Journal. Edda is his first children's book.

ADAM AUERBACH is the creator of Edda: A Little Valkyrie's First Day of School, which was named an Ezra Jack Keats Honor Book. Adam's illustrations have appeared on book covers and in numerous print publications, including the New York Times and School Library Journal. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York.

Editorial Reviews

The contrast between home and school is hard to get used to…In his first picture book, Auerbach mingles the two worlds unapologetically. Children are likely to appreciate the joke.

The New York Times Book Review - Sarah Harrison Smith

Auerbach hilariously depicts often-grumpy Edda, always wearing armor and a winged helmet among her T-shirt-claud classmates, in spare and cheerful line drawings.” —Booklist

“Kudos to author-illustrator Adam Auerbach —or, rather, a celebratory goblet of mead to him—for pairing a traditional school story with Norse mythology. . . . The tricky adjustments between the familiarity of home and the new disciplines of school play out amusingly in Mr. Auerbach's spare, comedic illustrations.” —The Wall Street Journal

“The struggles of Edda's first day bring a needed spark to the book, eliciting giggles through their humorous but sympathetic rendering of a little girl struggling to fit in . . . It might inspire the more timid little Valkyries.” —BCCB

“Auerbach—an accomplished editorial artist with an approachable line drawing style and a sly, sympathetic wit—makes a terrific children's book debut in this folklore-meets-first-day story. Edda is a fresh, funny twist on the kid who can't quite find a grove.” —Publishers Weekly

“Wagner's operas inspired this Valkyrie-themed look at the first day of school.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2014-05-14
Wagner's operas inspired this Valkyrie-themed look at the first day of school.Choosing to define Valkyrie as "an ancient Norse goddess who guides and protects heroes" (rather than the more common life-or-death decision-maker for warriors), Auerbach's choice of protagonist is an unusual one that may simply go over the heads of young readers, though they will certainly empathize with her. Off to school to meet kids her own age, Edda is not sure Earth compares favorably to her life back in Asgard. At home, Edda can do as she pleases, whereas at school, she will get a timeout if she doesn't follow the rules. No one wants to share or trade lunches with Edda, who has brought a flagon of…something and a huge hunk of meat still on the bone, and she misses the amazing wildlife of Asgard—Rex the classroom guinea pig is no substitute. But things begin to look up when Edda uses a difficult writing assignment to describe Asgard for her classmates, who suddenly want to know more about Edda and where she lives. Auerbach's pen-and-ink illustrations were colored digitally, giving them a flat, matte aspect. The two worlds are just as incongruous as adult readers might imagine.While this will introduce readers to aspects of Norse mythology, there's not enough detail to satisfy; the questions this will raise far outweigh any comfort those new to school may gain from it. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews