The Tomtes of Hilltop Stream

PreS-Gr 3—Having saved their woods by tricking workmen who tried to construct a road through the area in The Tomtes of Hilltop Wood (Floris, 2010), Emily, Jamie, and the Tomtes embark on another environmental rescue. Hilltop Stream has become so polluted and filled with garbage that fish are dying and the otter has left. Donning red caps that make them as small as the elflike Tomtes, the children work with the industrious creatures to remove trash, repair the pipe discharging factory wastewater, and restore the river banks with trees and plants. In no time at all, the stream comes back to life, and the Tomtes return to Hilltop Wood after the successful mission. Tyler effectively depicts the natural world in her illustrations of landscapes, animals, and plants. However, stiff movements and sketchy facial features render the humans and Tomtes less attractive. Collections where earlier Tomte stories have generated interest may want to add this installment, but others can pass on this well-meaning but simplistic eco-tale.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato