Heidi Herman Releases New Children's Storybook

The Yule Lads are not simply mischievous creatures imagined by the author. These 13 little half-ogre, half-troll beings have been Icelandic legends for generations. Now, they have been brought to life in a beautifully illustrated children's book, "The Legend of the Icelandic Yule Lads," authored by local Morton resident Heidi Herman.

Nordic Tale Shared for Generations
The legend began at least 1500 years ago. Passed down from generation to generation in Iceland, Herman distinctly remembers being enchanted by the story as a child hearing it from her mother, Ieda, a native Icelander and author in her own right. Ieda published her memoirs in 2013, prompting Heidi to write children's stories based on the legends her mother wrote about. The Yule Lads is the first story available in print.

Mischievous by nature, each with their own personality, the Yule Lads are creatures that venture from their hiding spot only 13 days a year, just before Christmas. They each sneak into towns, one at a time, and leave gifts for good children (or a rotten potato for naughty children), cause a little mischief, have a little fun, then one by one, return to their remote mountain home.

The Legend of the Icelandic Yule Lads centers on one of the little creatures, Stekkjastaur, known as Sheep Cote Clod in English. Stekkjastaur is discovered by a shepherd boy, and to buy his silence (and his own protection), gives the boy a little gift. What happens next is surprising and heartwarming.

Beautifully Illustrated & Modernized for Worldwide Audience
Herman is thrilled to have modernized the tale she remembers from her mother's homeland, and says she simply had to write it. "I wrote it because it needed to be written. There isn't very much out there about Iceland," says Herman, noting that she could find references retelling the legend of the Yule Lads, and a charming poem from 1932, but an actual narrative has never been recorded. Now the folk tale is available so that families worldwide can share the story with the each generation.

Herman knows the impact fairy tales have on children, and loves that this story not only has genuine entertainment value, but is full of family values and morals. Children, as well as parents, she says, will enjoy the rich illustrations as well as the moral behind the story. Another fun facet of "The Legend of the Icelandic Yule Lads" is the unique cultural aspect, one which is absent in most children's stories in many parts of the world. "It is an introduction to folk tales and legends from Iceland. It's something fresh and new," she says.

The Legend of the Icelandic Yule Lads by Heidi Herman will be available
at a special introductory price for a limited time on Amazon.com beginning April 27, 2014.

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