The Backward Brothers See the Light: A Tale from Iceland

Jean Free, a library consultant, is a retired public-school teacher and
librarian in Whitby, Ontario.

This Icelandic tale tells the story of three strange brothers who live
in a crooked house. Though “the brothers [do] not have much brain,”
they decide to build a new home with no windows to let in the wind and
one narrow door. When the house is too dark, they decide to fill their
cups with sunshine and bring the sun into the house. When the sunshine
disappears in the evening, they go to bed so they can get an early start
to begin their work next day.

Eyvindson is a Saskatchewan teacher-librarian who has written six
children’s books that expand his interest in storytelling. Manitoba
artist Terlson creates his humorous illustrations to supplement the
text, making the tale a charming blend of delightful foolishness.

The Backward Brothers is a traditional example of a folk-tale style
that would be a useful addition to library collections, especially since
there are so few Icelandic tales. Its large page format, bright
drawings, and humorous story make it useful for teaching junior-grade
students folklore-writing skills as well as being a good yarn for
primary students to enjoy.