HATTIE + OLAF

In this Swedish import via New Zealand, early-elementary–age Hattie longs for a horse but gets a donkey instead.

Following the events of Hattie (2020), the little girl is now in her second year of school with best friend Linda. Linda is not horse crazy like the rest of the girls in the class—but Hattie is. Hattie longs for a horse, but when her father gets her a broken-down donkey named Olaf (and is very pleased with himself), Hattie cannot bring herself to tell her classmates the truth. Instead, she makes up a story of a new, grumpy neighbor who has three white horses. Eventually the truth gets out and Hattie has to endure her classmates’ taunts. This quirky and terribly funny story is told in a present-tense, third-person-omniscient voice and revels in the perspective of a young child. Readers will appreciate the innocent view full of the limits of a young child’s experience and fears: “For grownups, nothing is dangerous enough to worry over,” and “Death used to be sort of fun.” As Hattie navigates school, with all the casual cruelties kids can inflict, she learns something about loyalty and what is really important to her. Wirsén’s black-and-white illustrations are full of spark and life, complementing the story’s quirky aspect. All characters’ skin is illustrated as the white of the paper.