The Swedish toy industry has long produced vast quantities of colorful, quality wooden items that reflect Scandinavian design and craft traditions. This superbly illustrated book, including specially commissioned photography, looks at over 200 years of Swedish toys, from historic dollhouses to the latest designs for children. Featuring rattles, full-size rocking horses, dollhouses, and building blocks to skis, sleds, and tabletop games with intricate moving parts, Swedish Wooden Toys also addresses images of Swedish childhood, the role of the beloved red Dala horse in the creation of national identity, the vibrant tradition of educational toys, and the challenges of maintaining craft manufacturing in an era of global mass-production. Published in association with the Bard Graduate Center Exhibition Schedule: Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs (06/18/14-01/11/15) Bard Graduate Center March 2015 Stockholm Summer 2015

This volume celebrates the richness of folk art in Sweden, from traditional peasant art to modern design. It illustrates the many facets of Swedish style and culture, exploring the ways in which Sweden's traditional heritage and contemporary design and decorative arts are connected.

*The basis for the wonderfully funny and moving TV series developed by Amy Poehler and Scout Productions* A charming, practical, and unsentimental approach to putting a home in order while reflecting on the tiny joys that make up a long life. In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, dö meaning “death” and städning meaning “cleaning.” This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner than later, before others have to do it for you. In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs readers to embrace minimalism. Her radical and joyous method for putting things in order helps families broach sensitive conversations, and makes the process uplifting rather than overwhelming. Margareta suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you’d ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children’s art projects). Digging into her late husband’s tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. Along the way readers get a glimpse into her life in Sweden, and also become more comfortable with the idea of letting go.

“A surprise best-seller which, apparently, has the power to turn even the most feeble of us into axe-wielding lumberjacks.” —Independent The latest Scandinavian publishing phenomenon is not a Stieg Larsson-like thriller; it’s a book about chopping, stacking, and burning wood that has sold more than 200,000 copies in Norway and Sweden and has been a fixture on the bestseller lists there for more than a year. Norwegian Wood provides useful advice on the rustic hows and whys of taking care of your heating needs, but it’s also a thoughtful attempt to understand man’s age-old predilection for stacking wood and passion for open fires. An intriguing window into the exoticism of Scandinavian culture, the book also features enough inherently interesting facts and anecdotes and inspired prose to make it universally appealing. The U.S. edition is a fully updated version of the Norwegian original, and includes an appendix of U.S.-based resources and contacts. “A how-to guide as well as a celebration of wood—its scent, its variability, and the way it can connect modern life to simpler times . . . You don’t need to have a wood-burning stove or fireplace to be captivated by the craft and lore surrounding a Stone Age method of creating heat.” —The Boston Globe “The book has spread like wildfire.” —Daily Mail “A how-to book with poetry at its heart.” —The Times Literary Supplement

· A collection of more than 50 scroll saw projects for making animal puzzles · Newly expanded edition includes more than 20 new realistic animal patterns · Features a complete step-by-step project tutorial · Includes tips for getting started, choosing wood, transferring patterns, and creating your own designs · Written by Dave and Judy Peterson, authors of Dinosaur Puzzles for the Scroll Saw, Fantasy & Legend Puzzles for the Scroll Saw, and more

How Pelle did odd jobs to earn his new suit and the steps in the making of his suit. Grades 1-3.

Bestselling Fall story reminiscent of the Moomins, Beatrix Potter and Cicely Mary Barker�s Flower Fairies.

When a Swedish farmer dies, his eldest son inherits the farm, a sturdy workhorse, and a plow. The middle son comes by a fine riding horse, and Per, the youngest, receives a handsomely carved and painted Dala horse. Though his brothers laugh, Per guesses that his horse will prove useful. And when the trolls of the underworld work their mischief, neither the workhorse nor the riding horse can compare with Per's magnificent Dala horse.

This wonderful book of Swedish Folkart is 88 pages, 62 color with coverage of all the major styles of Swedish Folk Art from 1750 to 1900. Included are 32 projects covering each of the styles with antique information and photos as well as present styles. Diane used JoSonja Acrylic and Mediums (which is very similar to that used in Sweden in those times) to paint everything featured in the book. Several pages of strokes and floral close ups provide instructive and easy information for beginners.