For Fritzl, Franzl, and Hansl, the three sons of a poor cobbler, Christmas promises to be a bleak and hungry holiday, until a chance encounter with a mischievous goblin king brings magic and joy into the best Yuletide celebration ever.

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Laurin, king of the goblins, ensures three boys a Christmas Eve they'll never forget in Sawyer's well-paced story. After their father, a poor widower cobbler travels into the village on Christmas Eve, the boys are visited by an odd, gruff little man. Although he's less than polite to his hesitant hosts, the stranger provides plenty of Christmas goodies for the family before he magically disappears. Cooney's paintings are steeped in old-world charm and her sandy, tow-headed boys are strong portraits of childlike innocence and wonder. Ages 3-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 5-8. First published in 1941, this Tyrolean folktale introduces the legend of King Laurin, who likes to surprise people on Christmas. Fritzl, Franzl, and Hansl, the young sons of a poor cobbler, could use a surprise. There is a war going on, and there is nothing to eat in the cobbler's cottage. On Christmas Eve, their papa is out looking for work when a visitor arrives. The odd little man demands food and a bed. There is no food, but there's a bed, and even though the brothers are sleeping in it, the rude, grumbly man demands the lion's share of the sleeping arrangement. Then he kicks the boys out altogether, but before they can get too cold, he magically sets them doing cartwheels, and, as they twirl, oranges and sweets and gold and silver fall out of their clothes. When their father returns, he tells them that they've been treated to a night of tricks and treasure by King Laurin. Sawyer's involving text is matched by Cooney's art, which not only is filled with charming details of alpine life, but also captures the mystery of the story. Traditional in both text and art, this should will easily find holiday fans. Ilene Cooper

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