Troll and the Oliver

Troll and the Oliver
written and illustrated by Adam Stower
published by Templar Books (Candlewick Press) (2015)
Roar Score: 4/5

Just reading the title should clue you in that this is a twist on the standard “monster vs boy” tale. Every day, Troll goes out and tries to catch and eat an Oliver. But Olivers are pretty sneaky and – as it turns out – exceedingly hard to catch.

The cat and mouse game, as it were, continues for some time. And the Oliver, though seemingly quite innocent, is all too eager to tease Troll and literally sing about his failures right to his face.

When Troll finally gives up, the Oliver immediately notices his absence. And just when life returns to “normal” (cue the clickbait headline writers)…you’ll never guess what happens next!

Troll and the Oliver is really a cute book and a clever twist on a familiar theme. My kids really enjoyed the Oliver’s sneakiness and antics (especially when he’s escaping in nothing but his undies).

It also didn’t hurt that I’m not too ashamed to sing his taunting songs while reading aloud. Hey, there are musical notes surrounding his word balloons. What am I supposed to do? Pretend they’re not there??

As I said, the book ends with a wonderful twist that will delight young readers. And do be sure to read the Author’s Note on the final page. It really is part of the story.

I also have to give kudos to the publisher for including a recipe for Troll Cupcakes (along with decorating ideas) on the inside back cover. It’s always a pleasure to see authors and publishers take advantage of that real estate, which is so often neglected.

Adam Stower’s art here is adorable. I’d love to see a whole series of these. In fact, this title came out 2013 in the UK (the U.S. edition just came out), and there is indeed a sequel that just released in the UK. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait two years to see it. We’re very much looking forward to it.