trolls – Aussie Reviews

The Three Billy Goats Gruff, by Nick Bland

Trip, trap, trip trap,
TRIP TRAP

Three billy groats named gruff want to cross a bridge to eat the sweet grass on the other side – but first they must get past the grumpy troll who lives under the bridge and wants to eat them for his dinner.

While many adult readers will be familiar with this tale, many younger readers will not. author/illustrator Nick Bland brings it to life with his humorous style, which many will recognise from such favourites as the Very Hungry Bear. The text is simple, with visual features such as bold and larger font for key words, and the troll is rendered with humour making him more comic than fearsome to the reader.

Perfect for classroom or home reading.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff, by Nick Bland
Scholastic Australia, 2019
ISBN 9781743815885

Keeper of the Crystals 7: Eve and the Rebel Fairies by Jess Black

Eve felt sleepy. She and Oscar had been out all day with Eve’s Dragon, Ingvar, enjoying the brilliant summer weather and celebrating school holidays. It was past their bedtime, but she and Oscar needed to get his bed sorted out before they could crash.
‘It was nice of your gran to let me stay for a few days while Mum and Dad are away.’ Oscar yawned as he helped Eve unroll the spare mattress.

Eve, her friend Oscar and Eve’s dragon, Ingvar are back in a new magical adventure. This time, it’s the fairies who need help. There’s only a finite amount of magic in the enchanted world and two rogue fairies are ensuring that it’s being used faster than is sustainable. If they are to help safe the tree of life, Eve and co will need to find the fairies and somehow convince them to change their ways. Illustrations accompany each chapter heading.

Keeper of the Crystals is a series of early chapter books. In each, Eve is able to access the worlds of magical creatures. In fact, she is called to help when other worlds are in danger. Although she can’t fly herself, she does have a companion dragon who is happy to carry her (and Oliver) if and when necessary. ‘Eve and the Rebel Fairies’ has a strong message about the effect humans are having on the planet and the consequences for other occupants. An adventure for lovers of magic and of our world. Recommended for newly confident readers.

Keepers of the Crystals 7: Eve and the Rebel Fairies, Jess Black New Frontier Publishing 2018 ISBN: 9781925594218

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller
www.clairesaxby.com

Don't Wake the Troll, by Ben Kitchin & Ben Redlich

They hadn’t gone down far into the dripping gloom when
kerlunk, kerlunk, kerlunk…
“Everybody stop!” whispered Gobo.
“Our shields! Our shields are bumping and kerlunking into our armour!
We must take them off and leave them. We don’t want to wake the troll!”

Deep inside the mountain, a giant troll sleeps with a pile of stolen treasure. The dwarves want their treasure back, but they have to be careful not to wake the troll. This isn’t easy when you’re carrying kerlunking shields and tinging swords, wearing creaky armour and your way is lit by sputtering torches. Will they get the treasure back without waking the troll?

Don’t Wake the Troll is a humorous picture book adventure, perfect for reading aloud to preschool aged children, who will love the sounds, the humour of the plot and the amazing illustrations. The latter manage to have plenty of colour even though the majority of the story takes place in an underground tunnel, and the dwarves and troll are delightfully comic in their expressions.

Lots of fun.

Don’t Wake the Troll, by Ben Kitchin & Ben Redlich
Koala Books, 2013
ISBN 9781742760605

Available from good bookstores or online.

Troggle the Troll by Nick Falk and Tony Lowe

Troggle, small troll, lives with his parents and his baby brother. Stamping feet and grinding teeth are popular pasttimes but the family’s favourite activity is eating. Troggle is bored with the sameness of the diet, but none of his efforts bring any change. Then he meets Tom. Together they find the perfect solution and bring harmony to the dinner table. Illustrations are bright and colourful and almost cartoon-y.

Under a bridge

in a hole in the ground

lived a troll.

A small troll.

Called Troggle.

Trolls don’t get very good press. They live under bridges and underground and are generally grumpy and violent and not all that attractive. And Troggle’s family are working hard to meet the stereotype. But not Troggle. He’s sick of the family’s all-meat diet. He could leave, but he clearly loves his family despite their limited palate. He’s a sensitive soul. So, with the help of someone who could otherwise have been dinner, he finds a solution that keeps everyone in the family happy. Recommended for pre-schoolers and early primary-readers.

Troggle the Troll, Nick Falk ill Tony Lowe
Random House 2012
ISBN: 9781742756011

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.