Swedish Fairy Tales

Hofberg's collection is the real thing — an authentic 19th-century gathering of Swedish folk tales with trolls, sea nymphs, and clever peasants that feel genuinely rooted in Scandinavian forests rather than sanitized for export. The problem is the Victorian translation prose, which was already archaic when it was made and will slow down modern child readers considerably. A wonderful library resource and classroom supplement, but competing illustrated editions of Scandinavian folklore will serve most families better.