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The Troll
A crew of clueless pirates, one hairy troll and barrels o'laughs!
32 pages, Paperback
First published July 3, 2009
10 people are currently reading
371 people want to read
About the author
Julia Donaldson
1,212 books1,860 followersGrowing up
I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books
Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
I grew up in a tall Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him).
Mary and I were always creating imaginary characters and mimicking real ones, and I used to write shows and choreograph ballets for us. A wind-up gramophone wafted out Chopin waltzes.
I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married.
Busking and books
Before Malcolm and I had our three sons we used to go busking together and I would write special songs for each country; the best one was in Italian about pasta.
The busking led to a career in singing and songwriting, mainly for children’s television. I became an expert at writing to order on such subjects as guinea pigs, window-cleaning and horrible smells. “We want a song about throwing crumpled-up wrapping paper into the bin” was a typical request from the BBC.
I also continued to write “grown-up” songs and perform them in folk clubs and on the radio, and have recently released two CDs of these songs.
One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading.
My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes.
I really enjoy writing verse, even though it can be fiendishly difficult. I used to memorise poems as a child and it means a lot to me when parents tell me their child can recite one of my books.
Funnily enough, I find it harder to write not in verse, though I feel I am now getting the hang of it! My novel THE GIANTS AND THE JONESES is going to be made into a film by the same team who made the Harry Potter movies, and I have written three books of stories about the anarchic PRINCESS MIRROR-BELLE who appears from the mirror and disrupts the life of an otherwise ordinary eight-year-old. I have just finished writing a novel for teenagers.
When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs. When Malcolm can take time off from the hospital he and his guitar come too. and it feels as if we’ve come full circle - back to busking.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
March 21, 2018
Clever book with the repetitive phrasing and cadences of a folk tale. Very probably my favourite Donaldson - and David Roberts’ Troll is sympathetic and comic.
June 15, 2021
The Troll is another brilliant children's picture book authored by Julia Donaldson, and magically illustrated by David Roberts. The story takes us on alternating timelines, one of the Troll and the other of a pirate gang - both parties on a quest to find better dinner options. Ultimately the paths of the Troll and pirates cross and result in a hilarious ending.
Donaldson once again captivates you with her considered prose while Roberts' illustrations are imaginative and alluring for a young audience.
Pirates, troll, food and treasure maps - a great combination to inspire your child's imagination!
Donaldson once again captivates you with her considered prose while Roberts' illustrations are imaginative and alluring for a young audience.
Pirates, troll, food and treasure maps - a great combination to inspire your child's imagination!
July 29, 2025
Not one of our boy's favourites. The artwork, while striking, is quite ugly to look at. The story is repetitive, without much of a payoff at the end.
January 23, 2019
This book is about pirates and troll that are fed up with eating the same food until they find each other.
September 24, 2019
This is a very interesting book with two story lines merging into one! A good read!
August 3, 2018
I LOVE this book and think that it’s absolutely hilarious. I have taught a dance session with R-Y2 and we were acting as trolls and the pirate. The use of drama was great in this too, and the children really engaged with the different characters. We then wrote our own recipes for the troll to took instead of fish!
November 16, 2011
This is a childrens favourite. Set in the middle of nowhere, you follow the journey of the troll who's out looking for his supper; a goat. Time and time again he thinks he has caught a goat until he is told to go further into the island where to his disappoiontment, there's only fish. Meanwhile, theres a group of pirates lurking around looking for something abit more valuable than goat. The book gets really interesting and the children start getting excited when these two cross paths...
A great story for KS1 and even better to be read aloud to a group of children. Pages are very well illustrated and have moments of suspense and repeated chants whilst the language isn't too complex. Cross curricular links can be made here as you can elaborate on animals, colours, treasure etc
A great story for KS1 and even better to be read aloud to a group of children. Pages are very well illustrated and have moments of suspense and repeated chants whilst the language isn't too complex. Cross curricular links can be made here as you can elaborate on animals, colours, treasure etc
March 20, 2017
KS1- Year 1
English: Write a story that explains where the troll came from. Create a recipe to go in the Troll’s cookery book. Write a recount of the story from the point of view of the troll. Make a list of per-suasive arguments to discourage the pirates from making the troll walk the plank.
Maths: Estimate the weight of the treasure chest when the troll was inside it.
Science: Plan a healthy meal for the troll, to give him a ‘nice change from fish’. The troll finds some hoof prints in the sand. Can you find out different types of footprint created by different animals?
Geography: Create a plan view of each deck on the pirate ship. Draw your own treasure map and create some clues to go with it. Make own treasure search within the school.
English: Write a story that explains where the troll came from. Create a recipe to go in the Troll’s cookery book. Write a recount of the story from the point of view of the troll. Make a list of per-suasive arguments to discourage the pirates from making the troll walk the plank.
Maths: Estimate the weight of the treasure chest when the troll was inside it.
Science: Plan a healthy meal for the troll, to give him a ‘nice change from fish’. The troll finds some hoof prints in the sand. Can you find out different types of footprint created by different animals?
Geography: Create a plan view of each deck on the pirate ship. Draw your own treasure map and create some clues to go with it. Make own treasure search within the school.
February 14, 2015
This book is one of my favorite children's books! My kids love it. We have read it over and over and still laugh out loud. Great illustrations, wonderful writing and sounds even better when you assign accents to the characters during a read aloud!
August 15, 2024
Loved it loved it loved it.
July 14, 2024
Julia Donaldson'un kitabını sevmeyecek bir çocuk olduğunu sanmıyorum. Kitabın resimlerini David Roberts çizmiş. Donaldson'un daha önce okuduğumuz kitaplarında bu çizerin adını görmemiştim. Açıkçası ben de merak uyandırdı ve resimlediği diğer kitapları da okuma isteği uyandırdı. (8-10 yaş çocuklara uygun Pasaklı Bertie serisinin çizeri imiş kendisi.)Kitap bir trol ve bir grup korsanın yollarının en sonunda kesişmesini anlatıyor. Bir zamanlar bir köprünün altında yaşayan bir trol balık yemekten bıkmış vaziyette ve köprünün altında elinde yemek kitabı ile dolanırken tek isteği bir keçi yakalayıp yiyebilmek. Bir gün köprüde tıkır tıkır ses çıkaran bir örümceği keçi zannedince heyecandan sonunda bir keçi yiyeceğini zannediyor ama köprüden geçenin bir örümcek olduğunu görünce hayal kırıklığına uğrayarak onu yine de yemek istiyor. Örümcek ise ona nehir boyunca gidip bir sonraki köprüyü bulmasını çünkü bir sonraki köprüde keçilerin olduğunu söyleyerek onu kandırıyor. Korsanların derdi ise hazineyi bulup adam akıllı bir yemek yiyebilmek. Hazineyi bulurlarsa iyi bir yemek kitabına sahip olup aynı tatsız tuzsuz yemekleri yemekten kurtulacaklarını düşünüyorlar.
Kitap bir trolün bir korsanların hayatına odaklanarak değişen zaman çizelgelerinde ilerliyor. Trol köprüden köprüye, korsanlar adadan adaya ilerlerken en sonunda bir adada yolları kesişiyor. Hikayenin sonu da oldukça tatlı.
Kitap bir trolün bir korsanların hayatına odaklanarak değişen zaman çizelgelerinde ilerliyor. Trol köprüden köprüye, korsanlar adadan adaya ilerlerken en sonunda bir adada yolları kesişiyor. Hikayenin sonu da oldukça tatlı.
June 19, 2025
I do so enjoy Julia Donaldson's books, this one not quite so much as all the others I have read. But that is not to say that it is not good, it definitely is but the storyline does not grab me as much as some of the others. The illustrations by David Roberts do add to its charm, however.
The story has two threads to it that come together in the climax. On the ne hand there is a troll who lives under bridges and moves from one to another in search of some decent food other than fish and on the way he encounters a variety of smaller animals all of whom he wants to eat. But he is persuaded to move on and spare them in the hope of getting something better later one.
And then there are the pirates who are continually digging for buried treasure ... but without any luck. Along the way they are dissatisfied with the food that is being cooked for them by each of the pirates in turn. However, things do not get much better.
When the two parties meet they agree to pool their resources and eat together but it all ends in disappointment with the chosen dish that the pirate chief decides to cook ... what was it? Please just wait and see!
The story has two threads to it that come together in the climax. On the ne hand there is a troll who lives under bridges and moves from one to another in search of some decent food other than fish and on the way he encounters a variety of smaller animals all of whom he wants to eat. But he is persuaded to move on and spare them in the hope of getting something better later one.
And then there are the pirates who are continually digging for buried treasure ... but without any luck. Along the way they are dissatisfied with the food that is being cooked for them by each of the pirates in turn. However, things do not get much better.
When the two parties meet they agree to pool their resources and eat together but it all ends in disappointment with the chosen dish that the pirate chief decides to cook ... what was it? Please just wait and see!
July 12, 2023
There wis yince a troll that steyed ablow a brig. (That's jist whaur trolls a are meant tae stey.)
One of this weekends charity shop finds to add to our Julia Donaldson collection; think Room on the Broom and The Gruffalo.
This is a little different as it has been translated into Scots, which made is a rather fun read trying to decipher/translate the text. The story itself follows two threads. Firstly, a troll who just wants to catch a goat to cook and eat. Secondly, a band of pirates who are in search of treasure to buy a cookbook.
I'm glad we spotted this, 3 1/2 stars.
One of this weekends charity shop finds to add to our Julia Donaldson collection; think Room on the Broom and The Gruffalo.
This is a little different as it has been translated into Scots, which made is a rather fun read trying to decipher/translate the text. The story itself follows two threads. Firstly, a troll who just wants to catch a goat to cook and eat. Secondly, a band of pirates who are in search of treasure to buy a cookbook.
I'm glad we spotted this, 3 1/2 stars.
September 18, 2018
This is a beautifully crafted tale with the symmetry of a Shakespearean play. Riffing off the Three Billy Goats Gruff, the poor, hungry troll, desperate for any meal that's not fish, is an amusing and likeable anti-hero, and the pirates are an entertaining bunch. While some young kids might have trouble following the two concurrent story-lines (the troll and his bridges vs. the pirates and their treasure hunt), they'll enjoy the repetition of phrases. And when the two story-lines converge, those who pay close attention to the details will delight in the hilarious, inevitable yet still surprising ending!
October 29, 2021
3.5/5 with interesting, detailled illustrations and humorous, reasonably predictable text this book is perfect for children aged 6+ who will be able to make the connection to the classic Billy Goats Gruff tale and keep track of the dual storyline running through this amusing picture book. This would be a great resource for any primary teacher's library, offering lots of scope for intersting discussions exploring different characters perspectives on the same thing (what is treasure?), or questioning the idea of the 'good/bad guy' etc it could also serve as inspiration for classwork across many curricular areas (recipe writing, map making, bridge building and much more!).
January 21, 2020
Read this book in year 1 and they loved it!
A book that younger children love as they can make connections with the bully goats gruff storyline.
Lovely illustrations throughout
Some of the language is repeated throughout the story which makes the story more enjoyable for children as they can join in
A book that younger children love as they can make connections with the bully goats gruff storyline.
Lovely illustrations throughout
Some of the language is repeated throughout the story which makes the story more enjoyable for children as they can join in
May 4, 2021
By coincidence Kaitlin recently made a treasure map for social studies.
I love how the story of the troll and the pirates flip back and forth and then slowly come together. Good opportunities for predictions.
I love how the story of the troll and the pirates flip back and forth and then slowly come together. Good opportunities for predictions.
January 31, 2023
Amusing. Quite a complex story for young readers with the switching between troll and pirates and it's pulled off well here. Lovely illustrations as always with a Donaldson book and a whimsical story too. Eadie loved the funny names of the pirates.
August 23, 2017
Funny and with great illustrations.
August 10, 2017
Almost as charming as the Gruffalo.
March 22, 2018
Great story. Very enjoyable. My young readers loved it.
June 20, 2019
A funny and unlikely story about how a troll searches
for a goat and pirates search for some treasure and they end up finding that if they work together they can have what they are searching for.
for a goat and pirates search for some treasure and they end up finding that if they work together they can have what they are searching for.
November 25, 2019
An amusing picture book- good use of rhyme and repetition. Also intertextual link as well as linking character. Strong themes of helping one another and making new friends
Read
March 9, 2020Lots of interesting punctuation and powerful verbs.
March 31, 2020
Another winning tale from Julia Donaldson. A troll is desperate for a hearty meal but is thwarted at every turn. The audio book, read by Alex Jennings, is a real treat!
April 19, 2020
Unpredictable and funny story plus amazing illustrations
May 30, 2020
Oh this book is fantastic. It made me smile and laugh. Clever, and the illustrations are really nice.
October 4, 2020
Great book with two story lines merging together, great use of repetitive language and wonderful imagery! Great for any age!
February 8, 2021
This was a simple and a small book. This book has many new words. I learned many new words. Kids would learn three sounds. What is the sound of the walking mouse? What is the sound of the walking spider? What is the sound of the walking rabbit.
April 20, 2021
Will the Troll ever get his goat stew? This book was clever, I found it different than the other books written by Julia Donaldson. And the illustrations by David Robert’s were great.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews