SERIES THURSDAY: Thorfinn the Nicest Viking by David MacPhail
ABOUT THE BOOK
Prepare yourself for the wrath of the Norsemen! That is, if you don't mind and it's not too inconvenient...Everyone knows Vikings are ruthless barbarians whose idea of a good time involves pillaging, plundering and feasting. But Thorfinn is no ordinary Viking! He is always polite and happily offers to wash the dirty dishes. Too bad his dad is Harald the Skull-Splitter, Village Chief and the roughest and toughest Viking of them all. The king of Norway is coming to visit Indgar village and Thorfinn is named Head Chef for the greatest feast the village has ever seen. Apparently the king has a taste for exotic fish, but he's also been known to catapult chefs who displease him into the sea! Thorfinn sets sail for Orkney with a ragtag crew to visit his Uncle Rolf and learn how to cook and catch fish. But it seems a poisoner is at large and he has his eyes on the poison...Thorfinn the Nicest Viking is a funny, illustrated, action-packed new series for young readers who love Horrid Henry and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, set in a world where manners mean nothing and politeness is pointless!
REVIEW
Thorfinn is a rather unusual Viking in that he isn't fierce and he isn't a fighter. He is in fact, called Thorfinn, The Very Very Nice indeed, making him very much an unusual fellow. Even his best friend Velda, exhibits more nastiness. In this particular volume of the series, Thorfinn is given the task of providing a meal for the king of the Vikings who is coming to visit. He determines that seafood to please the queen is the best way to please the king. The problem is that no one knows how to catch or cook any kind of seafood. So Thorfinn sets out on a quest to learn how to do both. Unfortunately, the crew he ends up with is rather inept to say the least. The humor in this book makes it a real winner in my book. But don't expect historical accuracy (Velda practices kickboxing for example) here as the book is full of anachronisms. I found it refreshing to have a main character who is so genuinely nice contrasting so sharply with those around him.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Prepare yourself for the wrath of the Norsemen! That is, if you don't mind and it's not too inconvenient... Everyone knows Vikings are ruthless barbarians whose idea of a good time involves pillaging, plundering and feasting. But Thorfinn is no ordinary Viking! He is always polite and happily offers to wash the dirty dishes. Too bad his dad is Harald the Skull-Splitter, Village Chief and the roughest and toughest Viking of them all. On a raiding voyage to Scotland, Thorfinn and his friends Velda and Oswald are kidnapped by Ranald MacRanald, chieftain of the Clan MacRanald. Little does Ranald he know that his methods of 'torture' (making the Nicest Viking sew with the women and clean the castle from top to bottom) are actually Thorfinn's idea of a brilliant Scottish holiday! Will Chief Harald the Skull-Splitter come to his son's 'rescue' before Thorfinn drives the Rotten Scots crazy with politeness? Thorfinn the Nicest Viking is a funny, illustrated, action-packed new series for young readers who love Horrid Henry and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, set in a world where manners mean nothing and politeness is pointless!
REVIEW
I found this book downright snort-worthy. When Thorfinn travels to Scotland with his father and the other Vikings to raid the place, he gets taken captive. In an effort to 'torture' the boy, MacRanald, the Scottish chieftain tells his men to treat the Viking 'nicely' since surely that is an insult to a true Viking. And while Thorfinn's friend Velda, truly is scandalized by the nice treatment, Thorfinn truly enjoys the hospitality. The characters and setting of this Thorfinn book make it an unusual but amusing choice for young middle grade readers who like plenty of humor along with their stories.
This series sounds so cute! I'm am looking it up on Goodreads right now. :)
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