A giant troll stands guard at a Norwegian amusement park. <em>Image: Jan Hammershaug / Creative Commons</em>

Lise Lunge-Larsen

If you’re looking for a fun family activity this month, consider going trolling. We’re talking about pursuing the mythical creatures of Nordic folklore, not posting nasty comments online. On Saturday, March 25, Norwegian-born storyteller and troll expert Lise Lunge-Larsen is coming to L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire. Her appearance is sponsored by the Waldemar Ager Association, which is named for a Norwegian-immigrant writer and editor who lived in Eau Claire. Endearingly termed “Troll Lady” in her home of Duluth, Minnesota, Lunge-Larsen is the critically acclaimed author of several children’s books based on Norway’s folk history. Her storybook The Troll with No Heart in His Body was named the ALA Notable Book of the Year and received numerous other honors, including the Minnesota Book award and the Ann Izard Storyteller’s Choice Award. She is set to release her newest title, Seven Ways to Trick a Troll, this fall. “Trolls were in the stories – the stories I adored and always begged for,” said Lunge-Larsen, speaking on the appeal of troll tales during her childhood in Norway. “Now, having been a storyteller for more than 20 years, I find American children also begging for ‘just one more troll story.’ ” Lunge-Larsen’s presentation will be a hybrid of dynamic storytelling and historical briefing. After performing essential Norwegian folktales, she will explain to the audience the prominence of lore – and trolls – in Nordic history. Give your kids (and yourself) a little cultural exposure and stop by. It’s sure to be a troll-ific time. 

Norwegian Folktales presented by Lise Lunge-Larsen • 10:30am, Saturday, March 25 • L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, 400 Eau Claire St., Eau Claire • FREE • (715) 839-1648 • ecpubliclibrary.info