Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
250th out of 551 books
—
381 voters
The Shrinking of Treehorn (The Adventures of Treehorn)
Poor Treehorn's problem is politely ignored by his parents and barely tolerated by his teachers.
Hardcover, 64 pages
Published
January 1st 1988
by Holiday House
(first published June 1st 1971)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
475)
Quirky fantasy tale about a boy who shrinks - when the adults around him notice, they all react in very unhelpful, self-absorbed ways.
Treehorn finally solves the problem himself - by finishing the board game he'd ordered from a cereal box top!
Maybe I'm eating the wrong kind of cereal, but it seems like I had more opportunities to get free prizes or order things when I was a kid...at least, from my cereal boxes.
I picked this story up because of the Edward Gorey drawings.
Treehorn finally solves the problem himself - by finishing the board game he'd ordered from a cereal box top!
Maybe I'm eating the wrong kind of cereal, but it seems like I had more opportunities to get free prizes or order things when I was a kid...at least, from my cereal boxes.
I picked this story up because of the Edward Gorey drawings.
I really like the style of writing. I found this book lying in a cardboard box, getting ready to be trashed, but I haven't read any sort of voice like this in a while. To me, it closely mimics the exact version of the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This earns a full 5 starts, hands down, because it teaches us all, with illustrations and worded text, that adults pay no attention to children indeed! In fact, many of us are so apathetic about our children, that they even realize how t...more
Here's a weird story: this book was at our elementary school library and either my sisor I had taken it out once and never brought it back. I'm not sure how this happened, but a total clean-out of our stuff (closets, under bed, toy box, etc) we found the copy of Treehorn. I think I still have it somewhere...
Gorey's drawings totally scared and intrigued me as a kid. This story was a little funky: Treehorn (odd name for starters) is shrinking (literally) and everyone notices, but no one will pull...more
Gorey's drawings totally scared and intrigued me as a kid. This story was a little funky: Treehorn (odd name for starters) is shrinking (literally) and everyone notices, but no one will pull...more
Young Treehorn discovers one day that he is shrinking. Is that even possible? Aren't children supposed to grow and not shrink?
After finally convincing his oblivious parents that he is indeed getting smaller, Treehorn attempts to continue living his life. Things, however, aren't as simple as they used to be. Treehorn even gets sent to the Principle's office for jumping to reach the water fountain at school!
Why is Treehorn shrinking? And, does it have anything to do with that mysterious game he p...more
After finally convincing his oblivious parents that he is indeed getting smaller, Treehorn attempts to continue living his life. Things, however, aren't as simple as they used to be. Treehorn even gets sent to the Principle's office for jumping to reach the water fountain at school!
Why is Treehorn shrinking? And, does it have anything to do with that mysterious game he p...more
My local library is full of surprises in the form of funky, old books. In the children's section I saw a title that instantly struck my fancy: The Shrinking of Treehorn by Florence Parry Heide. When I pulled the book off the shelf and saw the distinctive Edward Gorey illustration, I knew I had to read it.
Literally the book is about Treehorn who one days for no apparent reason begins to shrink. He can't get any adult to listen to him when he says he's shrinking. His parents get annoyed that he ca...more
Literally the book is about Treehorn who one days for no apparent reason begins to shrink. He can't get any adult to listen to him when he says he's shrinking. His parents get annoyed that he ca...more
Author: Florence Parry Heidi
Illustrator: Edward Goney
Title: The Shrinking of Treehorn
Genre: children’s fantasy
Publication Info: Holiday House. New York. 1971.
Recommended Age: 8 and up
Plot Summary: Treehorn is a little boy who finds himself slowly shrinking. His clothes get bigger and it is harder for him to reach things. At first no one believes him when he tells them he is shrinking. Then they realize just how small he has become. Even his bus driver and teacher do not recognize him at first. H...more
Illustrator: Edward Goney
Title: The Shrinking of Treehorn
Genre: children’s fantasy
Publication Info: Holiday House. New York. 1971.
Recommended Age: 8 and up
Plot Summary: Treehorn is a little boy who finds himself slowly shrinking. His clothes get bigger and it is harder for him to reach things. At first no one believes him when he tells them he is shrinking. Then they realize just how small he has become. Even his bus driver and teacher do not recognize him at first. H...more
my little brother's been nagging me to read this for a couple of weeks now, so i finally gave it a chance and read it this morning in about half an hour. I love the way this is written! ms heide has a really matter-of-fact manner of writing that's just so refreshing to read! i honestly can't complain at all, i loved this, and the way she threads magic into the plot so casually and seamlessly. treehorn is also the sweetest thing. definitely worth 5 stars
Browsing the picture books at the library to get another pile for Annika, I came across this which I remember reading when I was a child. I remember some of the Edward Gory illustrations quite vividly. I wonder how the indifference of the parents, albeit exaggerated for comedy, goes down now with todays children with helicopter over-scheduling parents.
The concept of this book is actually quite sad. This little boy is shrinking and nobody seems to care, not his mother or father or teacher not even his friends. Yet it is cleverly written and well told (even if I thought it dragged on a little too long for my liking).
Not Gorey's best art in my opinion.
Not Gorey's best art in my opinion.
This great and subtly sarcastic, humorous book is wonderful. I searched for it as the author passed away recently and I was not familiar with her work. GRHS. I must look for more. Good old Treehorn.
A classic, happy to say we still have this in the library. Funny book about a mysteriously shrinking boy and the busy, unobservant adults around him. Edward Gorey illustrations.
Jun 05, 2012
Rachelccameron
added it
This is a really cute story. I thought it was going to end up like that Buffy episode where the girl becomes invisible because everyone ignores her... but it doesn't. It's kind of like Jumanji in that there is a board game involved.
Odd little story about a boy who shrinks because of a game from a cereal box and parents that won't listen or believe him... love the illustrations of course!
A little boy is shrinking, and his parents and teachers are too preoccupied with their own problems to notice. Illustrations by the late, great Edward Gorey.
Treehorn is shrinking, but his parents barely notice or care. No one does. Luckily Treehorn happens upon the solution himself.
This book is odd. The humor is a bit off-kilter, but very subtle. My son took it all very seriously and was completely engrossed.
This book is odd. The humor is a bit off-kilter, but very subtle. My son took it all very seriously and was completely engrossed.
Feb 06, 2013
Jane
marked it as to-read
I want to read this, or at any rate to own it. See here
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.ph...
http://www.brainpickings.org/index.ph...
very short book that I read to the kids but it is great. really shows people who are going through the motion of life but not living. probably even more - or at least as - enjoyable for adults.
I read this as a child, I was very young, I think. I can't remember it very well and would love to read it again. I remember it being quite quirky.
Funny little story about a boy who is shrinking and the grown-ups who fail to notice. Terrific illustrations by Edward Gorey.
Too good. I read this one over and over when I was little. This one is the best in the Treehorn Trilogy.
An eccentric little book with perfect illustrations by our Mr. Gorey. A quick read, but quite fun.
This book is very memorable. I had Grant read it because I think he is shrinking.
Ahh, I loved it! Treehorn's mom reminds me of my mom... don't tell her I said that.
I love this book. It's so weird. And the pictures and words are such a good match.
Jun 11, 2009
Ehbluemle Bluemle
added it
The shrinking of Treehorn by Florence Parry Heide (1971)
More delightfully dry humor from Gorey.
The boys liked it ... and mom thought it was long :)
Another All-Time Favorite.
Adorable.
I borrowed this book from the library when I was 4 (sometime in 1982), and haven't returned it ever since (sorry, library).
I didn't really get it when I first took it home, but it made sense much later on on my childhood, and it is one book that I will always remember as *the* book of my childhood. Not because my parents ignored me, but I think I learned my first love of Edward Gorey and his dark humour from this book.
I would definitely make sure my child have this book on her shelf.
I didn't really get it when I first took it home, but it made sense much later on on my childhood, and it is one book that I will always remember as *the* book of my childhood. Not because my parents ignored me, but I think I learned my first love of Edward Gorey and his dark humour from this book.
I would definitely make sure my child have this book on her shelf.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
"What do I like about writing for children? Everything," says Florence Parry Heide, the award-winning author of more than sixty children’s books, including the classic THE SHRINKING OF TREEHORN, illustrated by Edward Gorey. "I like the connection with children," the author says. "I like the connection with all kinds of book people. And I like the connection with my childhood self, which is the mos...more
More about Florence Parry Heide...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Jul 30, 2010 01:52pm