A Christmas Wish for Little Dala Horse: A Saint Lucia Celebration by Sonja Anderson, Illustrated by Agnieszka Potocka

I don’t usually select children’s picture books for reviewing, but I saw this one and it captured my attention. Isn’t the cover gorgeous?

Check out the back cover, followed by my review.

Back Cover

With storytelling reminiscent of The Velveteen Rabbit, Anderson and Potocka work to show the Dala’s journey. Vivid illustrations are full of expression, bringing to life the Dala and the Juletide traditions. This is a wonderful addition to any library and would be well suited for children of all ages. –Jessica Clark, School Library Journal

Celebrate the spirit of Juletide in this charmingly illustrated Swedish Christmas story about a little Dala horse’s wish to discover the true reason for the festive season.

Little Dala Horse knows nothing of Juletide or of love―he’s just been newly carved as a Christmas gift. He’s eager to learn about the Saint Lucia girl with a crown of glowing candles, the festive star boys, and the cute pepparkakor children. Little Dala Horse jumps into a boy’s pocket and experiences the Saint Lucia pageant for the first time. At first Little Dala is shy and hides, but when a small gingerbread girl is scared to go on stage for her dance, Little Dala finds courage to help her overcome her fear.
 

My Review

This sweet story about a little wooden horse at Christmas time is very sweet and charming. Your child will learn some fascinating Swedish history and traditions as well. I love books that glorify Jesus, as this one does, while learning about other cultures and their history. As a big historical fiction fan, I was drawn to this children’s book and I wasn’t disappointed.

The illustrations are stunning and beautiful. The recommended age for readers of A Christmas Wish for Little Dala Horse: A Saint Lucia Celebration is 4-7 but I don’t have that age here at the moment so I had my son, age 10, read it. He gave it 4.5 stars. I give it the same. My two year old didn’t quite have the attention span for it yet, but ours was a kindle version. I think she’d love a hardcopy!

Thank you to the publisher for our kindle copy. All opinions in this review are our own.

Get your copy on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

About the Author

Sonja Anderson is a Swedish American elementary school librarian with an EdM from Harvard University. She and her Norwegian American husband, Jeff, live in Seattle, Washington, where their two daughters grew up participating in their church’s annual Santa Lucia pageant. Dala horses, straw ornaments, pepparkakor cookies, and Swedish candelabras make their holidays festive and bright. She is delighted that her first picture book celebrates her favorite Swedish traditions. Her other books for children aren’t Swedish, but kids find the animal characters just as charming!