In this warm and lavishly illustrated tale, Anderson introduces us to Juletide and the Swedish celebration of Saint Lucia's Day. We explore this season, along with some Swedish vocabulary and cultural practices, alongside Little Dala Horse, a newly carved toy who hopes to experience the love of being given to a child. The opening of the story is reminiscent of The Velveteen Rabbit; Little Dala Horse asks the worn but well-loved Old Dala to explain to him about Juletide and what is like to be bonded with a child.

Over the course of the story, we follow Little Dala has he stows away in a boy's pocket to see the Saint Lucia pageant. There, he finally learns what it is like to be loved when he comforts, and is chosen by, a girl who is nervous about performing. Potocka's illustrations are charming; the world of the story feels real and at the same time beautifully decorated and filled with Christmas cheer.

Accompanying the narrative on each page are small bubbles defining Swedish words used in the text. These, along with the cultural traditions conveyed through the story, provide a good amount of informational content about Juletide and Saint Lucia's Day, especially for an otherwise fictional text. I will note that the narrative specifically explores Christian traditions; after Little Dala horse finds his special girl, he reflects: "Maybe loving others was a gift from the heart. Like Lucia bringing light and food. Like God sending Jesus." I found the incorporation of these themes to fit well with the rest of the story, but if you are looking for a secular or less specifically Christian text that may be helpful to know.

I enjoyed reading this story and learning more about Sweden's Juletide traditions. This is a very profesionally written, designed, and illustrated story that I think would appeal to families interested in learning about Christmas/Yuletide traditions around the world.

Oh my gosh, what a beautifully heartfelt holiday story! When a talented woodcarver creates a horse nicknamed Little Dala, he's not sure what he's supposed to do or where he's going to go. But with the help of an older, well-cherished horse, he learns all about Christmas -- and that best of all, he might get the chance to be loved by someone!

Filled with holiday goodwill, the true meaning of love, and absolutely gorgeous illustrations, this is sure to be a holiday hit. (I actually didn't know much about Saint Lucia aside from the aesthetic, so I'm glad to say I also learned a lot!)

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.