Bera the One-Headed Troll

by Eric Orchard

Overview

Bera doesn't ask for much in life. She's a solitary, humble troll, tending her island pumpkin patch in cheerful isolation. She isn't looking for any trouble.

But when trouble comes to find her, it comes in spades. A human baby has arrived in the realm of the trolls, and nobody knows where it came from, but Bera seems to be the only person who doesn't want it dead. There's nothing to it but to return the adorable little thing to its parents.

Like it or not, Bera's gone and found herself a quest.

From noted picture book illustrator and graphic novelist (Maddy Kettle) Eric Orchard comes Bera the One-Headed Troll, a delightful new fantasy adventure with all the sweetness, spookiness, and satisfaction of your favorite childhood bedtime story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626728752
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	08/02/2016
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
File size:	58 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Eric Orchard is a cartoonist, illustrator and writer who tells richly imagined stories for kids of all ages. He is the author and illustrator of the Maddy Kettle books and a number of picture books. He has won a Spectrum award for his illustrations and has been included in the Society of Illustrators annual exhibition. In school he studied painting, drawing and art history. On his own time, Eric has studied folklore as well as comic books. Bera the One-Headed Troll is inspired by Norse fairy tales and illustrations by Arthur Rackham and Maurice Sendak.He considers himself very fortunate to be drawing books for kids all day. Eric currently lives in Toronto with his wife, two young sons, and studio companion: Albert Pineapple the parrot.

Editorial Reviews

"This is a gorgeous little graphic novel, with cream, pale orange, and black as the primary colors; these choices establish the otherworldliness of the setting and also reinforce the sleepy, dreamy vibe of a book that takes place almost exclusively at night (the protagonist is a troll, after all)."—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books., starred review

"The world has a Norse vibe evoked by its population of creatures and by the gorgeous landscapes Bera travels through in artfully sequenced graphic panels.... An old-fashioned quest with a lovable protagonist."—Kirkus

From the Publisher

09/01/2016
Gr 4–8—Content to harvest pumpkins with her owl sidekick, Winslowe, Bera is a one-headed troll (most trolls have two heads) who has never left her island. When she saves a human baby, Bera realizes she must leave her quiet solitude and seek help from the ancestors in order to return the infant to the land of the humans. On the way, Bera meets friendly hedgehogs and fights off multiheaded trolls, goblins, and Cloote, the former Head Witch of the Troll King, a Baba Yaga-esque character who travels in a Viking boat with legs. Can meek and gentle Bera protect the child? Evoking an eerie, surreal mood, Orchard's rust-colored illustrations, populated by odd, grotesque creatures, are similar to Dave McKean's art in Neil Gaiman's Coraline. A masterly artist, Orchard makes excellent use of shading and light. There is sweet humor to be found throughout, from Bera's first encounter with dirty diapers to her attempts to use old and out-of-date maps. Persistent, resourceful, respectful of her ancestors, and true to herself, Bera is a heroine with heart. VERDICT Fantasy readers, graphic novel aficionados, and those with an interest in folklore will gravitate to this tale.—Laura Dooley-Taylor, Lake Zurich Middle School North, IL

School Library Journal

2016-07-02
One-headed troll Bera finds a human baby and resolves to get it to safety.Happy, humble little troll Bera is the pumpkin farmer for the troll king. After finishing up the year’s pumpkin harvest, she hears a cry and discovers monstrous mermaids have found a light-skinned human infant to torment. Compassionate Bera rescues the baby and tries to find out how a human ended up on her island in the troll lands. The answer comes right to Bera’s door when Cloote, former head witch of the troll king, comes for the misplaced baby to use in creating a monster. Unwilling to turn the baby over for such a fate, Bera and her owl companion, Winslowe, seek out the famous heroes from Bera’s books, hoping to find one who can go on the quest to bring the baby home. This quest of her own brings her to hedgehog wizards, goblins, shadow wolves, and more. The various allies and enemies all clear a path for a final showdown with Cloote and a final decision on how best to protect the baby that earns bighearted Bera a family. The world has a Norse vibe evoked by its population of creatures and by the gorgeous landscapes Bera travels through in artfully sequenced graphic panels. The character art’s equally impressive, and the orange-and–burnt-umber color scheme’s a smart choice for the nocturnal beings. An old-fashioned quest with a lovable protagonist. (Graphic fantasy. 7-14)

Kirkus Reviews