 |
 |
 |
|
Nobody likes trolls. Well, that’s not entirely true, because after reading Orso: The Troll Who Couldn’t Scare, I can honestly say I think they are kind of fun to have around. Orso is a delightful little troll who just can’t seem to get into the spirit of scaring people. His father tries to teach him to frighten people as they cross the troll bridge, but Orso seems only to be interested in the clouds, the animals, and in climbing trees and making friends.
But everyone knows that trolls don’t have friends.
Orso wants to please his dad, though, and when he discovers some human children playing in the forest one day, he realizes that now is his chance to see if he has what it takes to be a real scary troll. Instead, Orso comes to realize that his gifts and talents lie elsewhere, and that making friends is about being yourself and letting others be themselves, too.
The simple lesson of being who you were meant to be is the theme of this delightful children’s book by talented father and first-time author Brad Thiessen. Kids learn by watching Orso that it is okay to be themselves, and that making friends is all about being real and honest, not pretending to be something they are not.
Freelance illustrator and designer Jeremy Balzer compliments the light and whimsical story with illustrations that are as magical and fun as the characters themselves, bringing Orso and his loving dad to life with emotion and expression that will have children smiling from ear to ear. Together, author and illustrator have created a wonderful book that will hopefully be the first of many in a series involving the cutie-pie Orso.
So take a chance and make a friend with a troll today. If he is anything like Orso, he will be welcome in any household, as well as under any bridge.
|
|
| |
Marie D. Jones/2005 for curled
up with a good kid's book |
|
|
For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews,
visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)
|
|
Orso: The Troll Who Couldn't Scare