If a child enjoys learning about other cultures and their traditions, this could be a fun choice for them. I found the story to be a sweet and engaging one about Swedish Christmas traditions that include Saint Lucia, a little woodcarved horse, in this case named, Little Dala, as the book title suggests. One cannot forget to mention the typical goodies, namely the pepparkator cookies.

This book plays out the actual Christmas procession through the streets to the church and how St. Lucia's story is enacted. Little Dala Horse is added endearment.

I like that the author seems to emphasis gifts from the heart; that being a truer gift.

At story's end, a reader will find a write up about the actual Saint Lucia and how she came to be so connected and entwined into Swedish Christmas traditions.

~ Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger ~

July 2025

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher.

'A well-worn toy is a loved toy, don't you know.'

A great little Christmas book and a great way to learn other yuletide traditions (I had never heard of st Lucia's day before reading). I love that for older kids and grown ups there's a history section at the back of the book. Little Dala is adorable, I'd love a hand-carved horse.

Author Sonja Anderson, inspired by the traditions of her church, gives us a Christmas tale starring a toy Dala horse. The book gives a little history on the Dala horse, a stylized horse figure popular in Sweden. Here, the Little Dala Horse is a wooden toy, just made by the Woodcarver as a Christmas gift for her granddaughter. The horse is curious about the world and longs to know more about it, especially about Christmas and love. He tags along to a special church service celebrating Saint Lucia and discovers answers to his questions. A Christmas Wish for Little Dala Horse is beautifully illustrated by Agnieszka Potocka and filled with great details, such as hidden Tomten (the little people of Sweden). Swedish words are sprinkled throughout the text, and the meanings are shown in boxes on the page where they appear. This book has something to interest everyone: art, Swedish culture,history, toys, and Christmas! What more could you ask for? A Christmas Wish for Little Dala Horse will make a wonderful holiday gift that will be enjoyed over and over again.

I will gladly add this to the library's Christmas collection. It's nice to find stories that include familiar bits of Christmas tradition, and add new traditions. The illustrations are adorable and friendly, and the new horse is a perfect way to explain new information to his and to the reader. I liked his finding a bit of purpose near the end of the plot, it wraps things up nicely and prevents the book from being just a list of traditions. The Swedish words and definitions tucked in some pages are a great addition as well.

This is a book based on Swedish tradition. It happens around Christmas or yuletide as it is said in Sweden. It’s about how grandmother makes wooden toys and the wooden toy comes to life to become a Christmas present for a little girl. Mixed in with this a very tiny little bit about St. Lucia and this makes for an interesting holiday story that you have probably not read before.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

A Christmas Wish for Little Dala Horse by Sonja Anderson is adorable. 🥰 My husband’s family is Swedish and during Christmas my mother in law has little Dala horses all around her house. This book is going to be a cute addition to our Christmas book collection.

This story is about a freshly carved dala horse who wants to understand what Jultide is. Luckily for the new dala horse there is an old dala horse who had just been fixed in the workshop. The old dala horse was able to explain what Jultide is.

The story is very simple and sweet. Dala horse finds out what it means to be loved and to give love from your heart. The illustrations are stunning and fit with the story so well. I enjoyed how we also got to learn what some Swedish words were. If you are looking for a book to add to your Christmas collection this is the one to add. The story is heartwarming and will definitely become a family favorite. I can not wait to read this to my children for Christmas.❤️

This is my honest review on, “ A Christmas Wish for Little Dala Horse”.

The melody of the Swedish words played in my ears, don't you know. I can't wait to read this aloud to the children at the holidays.

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.