Brenda Tyler

The Tomtes of Hilltop Wood return in this third picture-book, as Emily and Jamie, the human children who called upon their aid in defeating developers and factory farmers in previous adventures, once again confront an ecological catastrophe. This time the problem is water pollution, as the children find their favourite spot on Hilltop Stream - a lovely little swimming pool once frequented by a shy otter - dirty and filled with rubbish. Immediately seeking out Lichen, their special Tomte friend, the children ask for aid in putting the situation right, and all pitch in to clean up the pool. Lichen discovers in the process that the local factory has been allowing waste to run into the stream, and vows to make a special delivery to the factory letter box, complete with some green ooze. In the meantime, a heavy rain washes the last of the pollution away, and life returns to the stream...

Following upon The Tomtes of Hilltop Wood and The Tomtes of Hilltop Farm, this third eco-fable from Brenda Tyler once again pits those diminutive Scandinavian gnomes, together with their human allies, against the forces of environmental destruction. "Do you know the Tomtes? They live in the woods, but are rarely seen - and never by grown-ups. They understand the ways of nature and how wild things live," the narrator of The Tomtes of Hilltop Stream informs the young reader, emphasizing once again the role of the Tomtes as stewards of the land and protectors of its creatures. This interpretation seems in line with more traditional ideas about these creatures - although less overtly didactic, the Tomten in Astrid Lindgren's picture-books also cares for the animals and the land, albeit more in a pastoral than sylvan capacity. That said, I tend to find Tyler's Tomtes a little less mysterious than I would like, and her stories do not have that same sense of enchantment as Lindgren's, or Viktor Rydberg's. As with previous adventures, the ecological difficulties presented here were far too easily overcome - rivers and streams can make remarkable recoveries, but usually not overnight - although I appreciate the spirit of the tale. Recommended to young readers who enjoyed the first two stories about the Tomtes of Hilltop Wood, and to anyone looking for contemporary fairy-tales with an ecological theme.… (más)

When Emily and Jamie, the two young children who helped their tomte friends save the local woods in The Tomtes of Hilltop Woods, learn that Farmer Robinson is planning to sell Hilltop Farm, they are very upset. Especially when they and their friend Dan, who is Farmer Robinson's son, learn that the prospective buyers plan to start a factory farm once they buy the land. Turning to their tomte friend Lichen for help, the three children and their diminutive allies commence a campaign to turn the farm around, learning to care for the animals, and helping to plant crops. After a very successful sale at the local farmer's market, Farmer Robinson decides to give the farm another chance, thus averting disaster...

Like its predecessor, there is a clear didactic purpose to this second eco-fable from Brenda Tyler, as the children and tomtes face off against the evils of factory farming. The solution to the problem presented is somewhat simplistic - it's difficult to imagine a farm's fortunes being turned around so quickly, or one farmer's market making such a difference - and I had to laugh when the narrator informs us that Farmer Robinson never questions the fact that his animals have suddenly started behaving well, or that all these delicious cheeses begin to appear in his storehouse. That said, I am in sympathy with the idea behind the story - I don't think I've run into another children's title that deals with factory farming - and appreciated the artwork, which is simple but pretty. Young readers who enjoyed Brenda Tyler's first foray into picture-books, will doubtless also appreciate The Tomtes of Hilltop Farm, as will anyone interested in contemporary fairy-tales with an ecological theme.… (más)

When Emily and Jamie hear that a new road is planned, running straight through nearby Hilltop Wood, they are dismayed, and immediately set out to warn their friends, the tomtes. These diminutive beings, who are described in the story as the guardians of the 'oldest woods,' and who cannot be seen by adults, commence a campaign of misdirection and sabotage against the workmen. Aided by the children, they move and enlarge boulders, redirect the stream, and relocate a barn which houses an endangered bat species, and which therefore cannot be torn down. They cause so much trouble that by the time spring comes, the workmen decide that there must have been a mistake, retreating from the woods, presumably to build their road elsewhere.

Inspired, according to the publisher's blurb on the back cover of the book, by the work of Swedish picture-book author and artist Elsa Beskow, Brenda Tyler created this original fairy-tale set in England, in a woodland habitat similar to the New Forest where she grew up. It's easy to see the influence of Beskow, not just in Tyler's use of tomtes, or Scandinavian gnomes, but in her concern for the natural world. There is a clear didactic purpose in The Tomtes of Hilltop Wood, which reminded me of the work of American author/artist Lynne Cherry, who has also used magical beings - think The Dragon and the Unicorn - in her eco-fables. I wasn't completely convinced by the story - it's difficult to imagine road-planners being thwarted by a few setbacks - but I am in sympathy with its purpose, and found the accompanying artwork appealing, in a simple but sweet kind of way. This is not an outstanding selection, when compared to other tomte tales - Astrid Lindgren's The Tomten and The Tomten and the Fox, for instance - but it was engaging enough that I will probably track down the two sequels. Recommended to children who enjoy tales of woodland fairies, ala Elsa Beskow or Daniela Drescher, and to any readers interested in contemporary eco-fables and fairy-tales.… (más)