Title: The Wonderful Adventure of Nils Holgersson
Author: Selma Lagerlof
Translator: Paul Norlen
Illustrator: Bertil Lybeck
Publisher: Penguin Classics

Teacher review

Nils Holgersson is a 14-year-old farm boy with a reputation for being cruel to the animals on his family’s farm. One Sunday morning, his parents leave him at home to study the Bible while they go to church. He is visited by a small gnome who shrinks Nils, and also empowers him with the ability to understand animals.

Over the course of the book, Nils joins a flock of wild geese, along with a domestic farm goose, as they make their way to Lapland. The wild geese are at first cautious, but, over the course of their week-long journey, Nils earns their trust and respect.

The Wonderful Adventure of Nils Holgersson was written in the early 20th century, after Lagerlof was commissioned to write a geography reader on Sweden for public schools. The book does indeed inform the reader of the geography, flora and fauna of the land, but not in the format of an expected study guide.

Lagerlof draws on Swedish folklore and traditional tales to deliver a narrative that draws the reader in, and sweeps us along, flying high and swooping low with the geese. Children today may be familiar with air travel, but a hundred years ago the book would have provided a wonderful aerial perspective of the landscape of Sweden. The observations of animals, the weather and the landscape are just stunning. Lagerlof also touches on Sweden’s history as well as geography, and our protagonist is “happy to learn so much”, subtly making younger readers aware that education is a positive and fulfilling thing. Nils has gone from a 14-year-old boy unwilling to learn at school to an imp whose eyes water when learning.  

The pace is fast, and one certainly gets more from the writing by reading the book in one sitting - it’s a hard book to dip in and out of.

This edition is simply beautiful. The new, contemporary design will look good on any family bookshelf, and I can see it making a lovely gift for a 10-year-old. The original illustrations, by Bertil Lybeck, are gorgeous; I wish there had been more of them.

The use of traditional tales and folklore is so cleverly done, but the style of writing may be tricky for younger children who may be studying legends and other forms of storytelling. The book reminded me in many ways of the 2015 book A Boy Called Christmas, by Matt Haig, with a young lad travelling across vast landscapes on the back of an animal (in this case a goose, rather than a reindeer).

I would recommend this book to competent readers in Years 5 or 6.

Sally Hamerton is school librarian at Crondall Primary in Hampshire

Pupil reviews

‘Not particularly exciting’

The Wonderful Adventure of Nils Holgersson by Selma Lagerlof is the story of a disobedient boy who gets punished by being turned into a gnome!

He sets off across Sweden to find the creature who did this to him and, on the way, makes lots of new friends and also some enemies like the evil Smirre fox.

The descriptions in this book are beautiful. Each character has a well-thought-out backstory. The Wonderful Adventure of Nils Holgersson was originally meant to be a geography book and you can tell this by all the place names in the story. I struggled with these names as I don’t know Sweden very well.

Overall I did not find this a particularly exciting read and it was hard to carry on from where you left off.

I would recommend this book to lovers of classic fairy stories and traditional tales and for older readers.

George, Year 6

‘Too whimsical’

Initially I thought this book was a delight to read. An enchanting tale of a boy named Nils Holgersson and his adventures with a flock of geese travelling away to Kullaberg and back, this tale seemed a real page-turner.

My first impressions were that it was a traditional tale, but after the first chapter I realised that the story was more interesting than a normal traditional tale, almost as if someone had taken Hansel and Gretel and combined it with Tom Sawyer.

While I initially couldn’t put the book down, after a while I found it too whimsical. I am not a great fan of fantasy books, such as The Hobbit, so it may well be the case that this genre did not appeal to me. That said, I also felt that it would be more appropriate for a younger reader, around nine years old. Might have to see how my sister gets on with it!

All in all I thought that this book was a great read for younger children: very well written, very thought-provoking and a very pleasant book to read. But it does lose a bit of momentum in the middle.

Sebastian, Year 6

‘Springs out of the pages’

The Wonderful Adventure of Nils Holgersson by Selma Lagerlof is a lovely book, suitable for readers of traditional tales and Beatrix Potter.

Follow Nils on his adventures as he travels with a domestic goose called Martin Gander, and many of his wild-geese companions around Sweden. His punishment, because he is mean and unkind to all of the animals, is being transformed into a gnome.

As this book is like a traditional tale, it has a moral. The moral in this story is not expressed in many other books: be kind to all creatures, plants and people around you. As Nils Holgersson lives on a farm, this should come naturally to him. However, it does not, hence the punishment. All of this flows throughout the book and is enjoyable, as Nils has to make decisions related to his actions.

My favourite character is Martin the Gander. We meet him in the introduction of the book as he tries to fit in with the wild geese.

What is really gripping about The Wonderful Adventure of Nils Holgersson is the description. The author uses her unique skills to describe the characters in the right fashion and beautifully sets the scene of Swedish countryside, thus making the story spring out of the pages.

However, there is one slight fault: the ending. If you have read this adventure you will recognise this. Selma Lagerlof hints at a possible ending and builds up the tension which is pointless.

Apart from the ending, the overall book is amazing. I would rate this book, all in all, 8/10

Jonah, Year 6

‘Looked very attractive’

The book looked very attractive. The front cover was appealing and different and made me want to read the book.

The best bit of the book was when Nils Holgersson got kidnapped by the crows because the way they swooped down on him was so unexpected!

I liked his parents at the beginning too, as these characters seemed most realistic.

Henry, Year 6

‘A truly wonderful read’

My favourite character throughout the book has to be Nils Holgersson. The reason for this is that Nils gains courage as the book progresses. Nils also befriends other animals.

During the book a lot of description was used to make the characters feel real to the audience.

At points during the book I had to guess what would happen next. My favourite part of the book is the great crane dance, where all the birds join together to watch. This book kept me turning the pages right up until the end.

I would recommend this book to all readers young or old.

This book is a truly wonderful read. 10/10.

Ned, Year 6

If you or your class would like to write a review for TES, please contact Adi Bloom at adi.bloom@tesglobal.com

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