Helga's Dowry: A Troll Love Story

by Tomie dePaola

Helga, a troll, must somehow acquire a dowry with which to marry or, by the god Odin’s command, be doomed to wander the earth forever. “Richly colored pictures capture the droll humor of [Helga’s] clever, determined fight to garner impressive riches.”-- Booklist

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy, Humor, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Kids

32 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 1977

About the author

Tomie dePaola (pronounced Tommy da-POW-la) was best known for his books for children.

He had a five-decade writing and illustrating career during which he published more than 270 books, including 26 Fairmount Avenue, Strega Nona, and Meet the Barkers.

Tomie dePaola and his work have been recognized with the Caldecott Honor Award, the Newbery Honor Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and the New Hampshire Governor's Arts Award of Living Treasure.

Reviews

[Ronyell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been a huge fan of Tomie dePaola’s works ever since I was a child, with my favorites being of his “Strega Nona” stories (favorites from this series are “Strega Nona” and “Strega Nona’s Magic Lessons”). Now I have stumbled upon a new book I have read from Tomie dePaola called “Helga’s Dowry: A Troll Love Story” and I was absolutely blown away by this book! “Helga’s Dowry” is about a young troll named Helga who wanted to marry a handsome troll named Lars, but because she was orphaned as a child, she has no rich dowry. So Helga decides to get a rich dowry by doing some hard work in the Land of People. “Helga’s Dowry” is a brilliant book about how hard work and determination really pays off at the end that many children will love for many years!

Wow! I was so impressed with this book! I actually wished that I had read this book when I was younger because the message about how hard work and determination gives its own rewards was done so brilliantly and cleverly! Tomie dePaola has done a brilliant job with both illustrating and writing this tale about a young female troll who wanted to earn a rich dowry to marry a handsome troll, so she works hard to get the dowry she wanted. I loved the way that Tomie dePaola made Helga into such an independent and strong female character as she tried to work hard to achieve the dowry she wanted while keeping her principles about marrying a person who accepts her for herself in check. I also loved the twist at the end of this story as it was truly unexpected, but it was still a happy ending and it made me really root for Helga! I also loved the way that Tomie dePaola made the trolls in this book seem like regular good natured people, not as villains as they are usually portrayed in most fairy tales and folktales and that really helped me relate to the characters more while making them extremely interesting to read about. Tomie dePaola’s illustrations as usual are extremely creative and hilarious to look at. I loved how Tomie dePaola drew the trolls always grinning in every image and how he drew the trolls’ tails in being long and having hairy puffs at the tips. I also loved the images of Helga herself as she is always grinning and wears a cute little white bonnet and a blue apron that really defined the times that her character was set in.

Overall, “Helga’s Dowry: A Troll Love Story” is a truly brilliant and hilarious book that children who want to learn about the importance of hard work and determination will definitely enjoy for years to come! I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since there is nothing inappropriate in this book for smaller children.


Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog

[Jannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helga has no dowry to marry the troll of her dreams. This pushes her out as an eligible bachelorette and ushers in a troll lady who is awful inside & out, but capable of paying a handsome dowry. Helga decides that she'll earn her own dowry by preying upon the laziness and greed of humans, which works wonderfully. The suitor eventually eyes the dowry Helga's accumulated and decides maybe he does love her after all, but Helga is wise to the greed evident in her own kind. The king of trolls, however, has noticed the hard work she's done and, with no need for further wealth, proclaims his love for Helga. Happily ever after and all that trollish jazz occurs.

The thing that bugged me was the rejuvenating cream that Helga sold to people made them all look like they were in blackface. I know mud masks are a common thing and it's totally possible that was what dePaola was going for, but in this story it could be interpreted as something a bit more...harmful? Maybe that's just me being oversensitive. :\

[Saharatos]

Helga is an orphaned troll who had found love. The problem is the law requires a dowry to accompany a marriage. Helga suggests that her fiancé troll visit a wise and rich troll for advice. This other troll tells the fiancé to marry his ugly daughter who comes with a pile of riches. The selfish troll decides to marry the ugly troll instead. Helga tries to fix the situation by earning a dowry of her own but encounters a barrier to her plan. Helga learns that love and money can be mean two different things and has a decision to make in the end. Young students may enjoy the story but the moral of the story may be lost to them. It is easy to lose sight of who the characters are for young readers but with a little visual help it can be used for kindergarteners. The story carries a moral value that is addressed and can be great for discussion. I suggest this book for mainly 1st graders to 5th.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an entertaining and empowering story about a clever female troll who does not wait for a man to save her or take care of her. When she discovers that her sweetheart is swayed more by money than her charms, she decides to ensure that she takes care of her own needs. The illustrations are fairly typical for Tomie dePaola's books, and I loved that Helga could pass for being a human by simply tucking her tail under her dress. While it's not specifically about Valentine's Day, it's a great time to read this book. Overall, it's a fun book to read aloud and we really enjoyed reading it together.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helga's Dowry: A Troll Love Story (Paperback)
by Tomie dePaola
this book is a cute story about making things better for yourself

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mom's Review
I had high expectations for a Tomie dePaola book. They were exceeded.

Helga's Dowry, from the '70's, is now republished, and firmly among our favorite dePaola books. Helga is the prettiest but poorest troll. When Handsome Lars wishes to marry her, her lack of dowry poses an almost insurmountable hurdle, so he decides to marry the richest troll instead, Plain Inge. Helga asks Lars to wait for her while she earns herself a dowry. Helga succeeds, but Lars doesn't wait; he is on the brink of marrying Inge when he sees that Helga is now richer and returns his affections to her. Helga is not fooled and rejects him with the memorable words, "I want to be loved for who I am, not for what I've got!"

Helga's Dowry is a delightful lesson in problem solving, self-reliance, and self-worth. Helga sets an excellent example in tackling obstacles. Although she briefly wallows under a bridge (which 3 goats happen to pass over – who might those be, I wonder?), she asks herself, "Why should I sit here and pout? I'm...clever." And so she sets out to earn gold, cows, and a pasture; she does so through hard work. Creative problem solving, a bit of outright feminism,* and the final rejection of Hans make for a character whom readers can love and strive to be like. Furthermore, we see a little character watching all proceedings from the edges – turns out to be the troll king who admires Helga and falls in love with her.

Oh, and lest we forget, it's Tomie dePaola, so of course the art cannot be beat.

*When a rich man questions her ability to perform work because she is a woman, she completely dismisses him.

Son's Review
(Age: 4)

So there's a troll king, and he's always looking at Helga thinking he's gonna marry her, and at the end he marries her. The End.

It makes me happy. Tomie dePaola writes good stories. She kinda looks like Strega Nona.

I love that she earns herself a dowry. She does journeys to earn herself a dowry, and then she marries the troll king who loves her so much.

I like her humming. I like where you get to see how Helga turned herself into a rock.

I also like the part where they [Inge and Helga] battle, and it keeps going on and on.

Why we chose this book:
For Helga's creative problem solving, and because we are Tomie dePaola fans. A review copy was provided by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in exchange for an honest review.

[Emma Detweiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helga’s Dowry is a fantastical folktale about a troll whose love sends her on a mission. Helga is madly in love and ready to be married, but according to troll law, she must have a dowry. Unfortunately, Helga does not have a dowry, so her lover plans to marry another woman. Helga takes off on an adventure to collect money and other indicators of wealth for her dowry. She decides to go to a town where gullible humans live and are eager to buy things and hire someone to do chores. As she moves through the town, she makes lots of money, gains a herd of cows, and even land. When Helga returns to the town, she realizes her worth and decides Lars does not deserve her or her new dowry. The book ends with Helga marrying and unexpected new lover. The illustrations are pale and muted and give an older folktale feel. The mystical trolls and animals make this story magical and the shapeshifter qualities of the trolls adds an interesting element that furthers the folktale qualities. This is a funny book with catchy rhymes that young students would enjoy. It would be a great book to use for a character study and analysis.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helga is the most beautiful troll, but she's dirt poor, without a dowry, so when the troll she loves refuses to marry her and instead mary a rich but butt ugly troll named Inge, Helga asks her true love to wait until she too can find a dowry of her own... And so begins this charming little tale of a very determined troll who refuses to wander the world alone for all eternity. But the twist of the story is quite thought-provoking and should be a lesson to anyone who thinks that they need to accomplish things just to please others in their cockeyed view of things. I'm a huge Tomie dePaola fan. He's one of my favorite picture book authors. I'd never heard of or seen this book before so it was a real treat reading it. My rating - 4/5

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a favorite childhood book by one of my favorite author/illustrators. I never tire of reading the story of Helga, who decides to earn her own dowry when her intended groom spurns her for a plain but wealthy bride instead. She is clever and industrious as she acquires an even larger fortune than her rival. She has immense self-respect though, and in the end rather than take him back, she tells her ex to kick rocks. Instead she accepts a proposal from the king who fell in love with her for herself and has no need of her money. It is an all around fabulous book with such a great message, and the art is delightful. So happy to pass it on to my own kids now!

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hope children don't get confused about the themes of the fable. At first Lars loves Helga because she is beautiful. And doesn't want Plain Inge because she is not. But he changes his mind because of Inge's father's wealth. Then the dowry issue gets dealt with, and the two female trolls fight each other over Lars. Then both get 'happily' married at the end. Oh, and a forest gets chopped down.

Some might complain about the episode of 'juvenescent cream' but I think that vain people deserve to be scammed if they don't have the sense to look for an iota of evidence.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helga is a beautiful troll with no dowry, so she determines that she will make her own fortune by taking advantage of the greed of humans. When she earns a large dowry, her betrothed has already decided to move on to another troll with an enormous dowry. Helga is not happy, but when he comes crawling back after seeing her fortune, she gives him the boot. A surprise admirer, who has no need for money and loves her for who she is, offers his hand and she accepts. The end!

[Dustyloup · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange combination of old fashioned fairy tale and feminist empowerment through ingenuity and hard work - with a sprinkle of troll dust which Helga uses to take advantage of/cast a critical eye on human greed.

I won't spoil the ending but let's just say, despite the positive message and questioning the status quo, it would fail the Bechdel test for sure.

Split between 3&4 * but the environmental destruction and conventional ending pushed it to 3.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be my favorite dePaola story yet! Somehow I'd never had it read to me as a kid but I happened across it at the local library. I'm certainly glad I picked it up! My 4-year-old couldn't quite appreciate it but I did.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was actually surprised by how clever and enjoyable this little fairy tale was. Today's young readers are probably going to wonder about what a "dowry" is but will get a kick out of the funny proceedings.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Tomie dePaola's folktale books. Always a moral with the story and wonderful illustrations.

[Niesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this sweet story!

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I made my mom read this book to me 9000 times.

[Emmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of this book before, but it was so incredibly cute! A fun little story (with a small Easter Egg to be found if you read it a second time). Really enjoyed.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh snap! Go Helga!

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Work hard and be yourself - good advice for trolls and humans alike!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me: Good story. Don't trust a male troll that only wants money and thinks he's handsome.

The Rabbit: *sleeping*

Guinea Pigs: *eating and sleeping*

[kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

a bit odd but I liked it

[Mary Catelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light-hearted tale of how Helga works out her problems from troll-law.

[Makaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helga, a troll, must somehow acquire a dowry with which to marry or, by the god Odin's command, be doomed to wander the earth forever. After Lars, her true love is tempted away from her side by a rich dowry, Helga decides to go and earn a dowry of her own.
The colors in the book arent very cute but the color combinations contrast eachother greatly.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Week 4: Children's Literature

Handsome Lars was in love with Helga the Troll but promises of riches caused Lars to change his mind and marry Plain Inge. Saddened by the thought of losing Lars, Helga asked him to wait for her as she set out to earn her own dowry. Tricking people with Troll magic, Helga slowly gained riches and land; everything needed to persuade Lars. One day away from completed what she set out to do, Helga learns that Lars never planned to wait for her. Helga would rather be alone forever than spend eternity with a Troll like Lars. Helga triumphs and marries the Troll King, leaving Lars jealous and married to an ugly Troll wife.

"Helga's Dowry: A Troll Love Story" is appropriate for ages 5+ (Grades K+).

I absolutely loved this book. Helga is a spunky character who goes out and gets what she wants. Using wit and cunning, she swindles deals and comes out on top. Aside from the fantastic story line, there is a lot of adult humor that takes place in the background of this book. Cameo appearances made by well known folklore characters like the Three Billy Goats Gruff add interest and appeal to the illustrations. This story teaches readers not to wait for someone else to bring them happiness.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a funny book with a nice lesson. Helga the troll has no dowry, and so her love, Lars, is wedding someone else (a rich someone else). Helga decides to work to earn a dowry. She does chores for lazy people whose laziness and greed ends up costing them everything. When Helga comes back rich, Lars asks for her hand. She refuses of course; Lars is a shallow bum. She marries the king, who has been watching her and admiring her initiative this whole time.
This is a very very cute book. The pictures are a little boxy, typical Tomie dePaola art (think Strega Nona). The trolls are short and squat (how else would trolls be?) and so are most of the people. It's a little interactive: the troll king is hidden on each page watching Helga and he is fun to look for. There is a poem about each lazy person and their folly sung by Helga. This book has a very "folksy" quality about it, and it's got a great sense of humor. This would be a good book to entertain kids of all ages. I would probably pair it with fairy tales in class because, even though it is not a traditional tale, it has many of the same elements. My classes could easily compare this book with more traditional tales to find out what and how the author was able to use a fairy tale style in a new way.

[Josiah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Helga's Dowry reads a lot like an old fable. Helga is a young, beautiful troll who despite her physical appeal is unable to get married because she has no dowry, and the rules do not permit marriage without one. When the troll that Helga wants to marry discards her for another, Helga becomes determined to earn her own dowry, by duping humans out of their abundance. Just when Helga is about to claim her new full dowry she is confronted by her troll nemeses, who had been the very troll to take away the one Helga wanted to marry. Helga uses her craft to win what she had fought so hard to earn, but all does not turn out quite the way she had expected it to in the beginning.

This is an interesting story with very good paintings, but who would be surprised to find those two elements in a Tomie dePaola book? I would give one and a half stars to Helga's Dowry.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious tale based on Norse mythology.

Helga is a young troll in love with the handsome troll Lars, but, alas, she has no dowry. So she sets out with her troll magic and own determination to earn her own dowry.

No surprise Lars turns out to be an utter toad who doesn’t deserve the fabulous Helga, BUT there is a surprise appearance at the end of someone who DOES appreciate Helga, and those two live happily ever after.

dePaola takes yet another set of myths and creates a funny story that delights and enraptures with a strong protagonist that anyone would root for.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book. My niece really liked it, and it's one that my mom read to us when we were little. I love that Helga can make her own way, solve her own problems, and stand on her own two feet. It might be just a tad dated; it is 34 years old, after all, and I do wish there were fewer books for girls involving finding a guy to marry. But still, it's a good tale and I think Helga and Rosie the Riveter would have gotten along splendidly.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an underappreciated dePaola story about the feisty independent Helga who sets off on her own to make her fortune. dePaola's original art and text beautifully capture the troll setting making the story look and sound like a northern European folktale. A wonderful picture book, especially if you like strong female characters, yet this is also a sweet love story that will have you cheering at the end for the indomitable Helga.