A Book of Ogres and Trolls (Scary and Spooky Stories)

Ogres and trolls are not always what you expect.

As Manning-Sanders explains in her foreword, many ogres in fairy tales are exactly what you’d imagine — great, stupid, cruel creatures. But some are surprisingly clever, and most possess magical powers to assist them in their havoc. In rare cases, they can be just, forgiving, and even helpful. Trolls, meanwhile, are almost universally small creatures with magical powers of their own. Most are mischievous, but they can be convinced to do good. They are feared, respected, and even accepted by the people in these stories.

In this collection, Ruth Manning-Sanders gathers thirteen tales from Russia, Iceland, Sicily, Italy, Ireland, Germany, and Denmark — each one featuring ogres, trolls, or both. The stories span a wonderful range of moods and surprises. There is a good ogre from Russia whose nature defies expectation. There are children who must outwit the ogre’s terrible breath in Sicily. There is a troll wife in Iceland whose story proves that monsters are not always the monsters they’re cracked up to be, and that a little kindness goes a long, long way. And there is even — rarest of all in fairy tales — a kind stepmother.

Manning-Sanders retells each tale with her celebrated warmth, wit, and precision — not a word wasted, yet every page alive with the thunder of ogres and the mischief of trolls. The award-winning Robin Jacques provides illustrations that bring these fearsome and fascinating creatures vividly to life.

Stories include: The Good Ogre (Russia) • Tritil, Litil, and the Birds (Ireland) • The Ogre’s Breath (Sicily) • The Gold Knob (Iceland) • The Children on the Pillar (Russia) • Sigurd the King’s Son (Iceland) • The Girl in the Basket (Italy) • Cow Bu-cola (Iceland) • The Green Bird (Sicily) • Jon and the Troll Wife (Iceland) • The Little Tailor and the Three Dogs (Germany) • The Troll’s Little Daughter (Denmark) • Nils in the Forest (Denmark)

Perfect for read-aloud sessions, bedtime storytelling, and young readers ages 6–12 who love tales of fearsome creatures where courage and kindness always win. A treasured volume in Ruth Manning-Sanders’ celebrated “A Book of…” folklore series.