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The Troll Book
An illustrated history of trolls and their daily routines, homes, family life, myths, entertainments and some of their neighbors, the dwarfs and elves
64 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1980
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 10, 2023
We found this at a local book sale for $1 and had no idea that Michael was the son of the Berenstain Bear creators and that he had taken over doing those books. We just got it because it looked cool, was a hardcover, and much like myself, my son, Auryn, loves all things mythical and strange. We’ve watched the Netflix movie ‘TROLL’ about two dozen times, each time loving the cinematography and the way the Troll is portrayed – CGI emotions working so well – and somehow I’ve become friends with Espen who wrote the screenplay, so I’ve been able to ask him a few questions regarding the inspiration for parts and so on.
Now, we got this book back in June or so, and it’s sat on our shelf for a bit as we’ve been reading The Dragon Master’s series and lately The Last Firehawk series, but recently, Auryn’s school friend went to Norway and got him a small Troll figure as a gift. I told Espen, and he let us know that we needed to name our Troll. So, in the quest to find a name, we pulled this book out and decided to read it.
What I liked: The book itself is exquisitely illustrated. Each and every page has an illustration – or multiple – that we found ourselves spending time on examining and enjoying. The text aspect goes through the history of Trolls and how they interact with humans and it has a bit on the Hidden Folk and how Trolls live together with them in the forests.
Historically, this had some really great spots and even alluded to The Troll Mountain and Dovregrubben, whom is the who the Troll in the movie Troll is based on. We Googled a few things while reading and loved how vivid Berenstain brought this world to life.
The last portion of the book is dedicated to life in the Troll King’s Kingdom, and what it looks like within the Kingdom itself. The setting is on the cover of the book and we get to investigate each compartment and what the day to day life of the Troll looks like.
What I didn’t like: If this was a book released to be a kid’s book, it does get pretty dark in some places. If this was supposed to be more for young adults or adults, it is a bit short and doesn’t go as dark as it maybe should’ve? It’s kind of a catch-22 in this case.
Why you should buy this: If you can find a copy of this – and it won’t break the bank – definitely grab it. The illustrations are wonderful, bringing about a sense of Kittelsen through Berenstain’s eyes and brought me back to the books I used to love flipping through over and over as a kid.
It covers a good amount of ground in only 60-ish pages and does do a really solid job of sharing the mythology of the Troll.
Now, we got this book back in June or so, and it’s sat on our shelf for a bit as we’ve been reading The Dragon Master’s series and lately The Last Firehawk series, but recently, Auryn’s school friend went to Norway and got him a small Troll figure as a gift. I told Espen, and he let us know that we needed to name our Troll. So, in the quest to find a name, we pulled this book out and decided to read it.
What I liked: The book itself is exquisitely illustrated. Each and every page has an illustration – or multiple – that we found ourselves spending time on examining and enjoying. The text aspect goes through the history of Trolls and how they interact with humans and it has a bit on the Hidden Folk and how Trolls live together with them in the forests.
Historically, this had some really great spots and even alluded to The Troll Mountain and Dovregrubben, whom is the who the Troll in the movie Troll is based on. We Googled a few things while reading and loved how vivid Berenstain brought this world to life.
The last portion of the book is dedicated to life in the Troll King’s Kingdom, and what it looks like within the Kingdom itself. The setting is on the cover of the book and we get to investigate each compartment and what the day to day life of the Troll looks like.
What I didn’t like: If this was a book released to be a kid’s book, it does get pretty dark in some places. If this was supposed to be more for young adults or adults, it is a bit short and doesn’t go as dark as it maybe should’ve? It’s kind of a catch-22 in this case.
Why you should buy this: If you can find a copy of this – and it won’t break the bank – definitely grab it. The illustrations are wonderful, bringing about a sense of Kittelsen through Berenstain’s eyes and brought me back to the books I used to love flipping through over and over as a kid.
It covers a good amount of ground in only 60-ish pages and does do a really solid job of sharing the mythology of the Troll.
November 22, 2015
Who knew the Berenstain Bears guy could be terrifying?
I loved this book as a kid because it hit my sweet spot: pages full of intricately detailed pictures you could pour over for hours. Witness the beautiful detail on the troll castle.
This is a book about the life of the trolls, a hidden race that lives in the forests...
...and are mostly silly and non-horrific.
There's a great section where Berenstain explains the origins of the fairies, and details a few of them beautifully.
I throw in a lot more scans here.
So, by what criteria an I judging this book?
It's a children's book. With that in mind, I'm judging this one my desire to read this with my kids. Admittedly, my daughter is only old enough to stick her plush Cthulhu into her mouth, but I'm planning for the future.
The one caveat is the existence of the four pages where trolls kidnap humans and scream at them until the captive becomes a troll themselves. That costs a star due to being literal nightmare fuel for a young kid. Aside from this, I'm glad to have this in my collection.
I loved this book as a kid because it hit my sweet spot: pages full of intricately detailed pictures you could pour over for hours. Witness the beautiful detail on the troll castle.
This is a book about the life of the trolls, a hidden race that lives in the forests...
...and are mostly silly and non-horrific.
There's a great section where Berenstain explains the origins of the fairies, and details a few of them beautifully.
I throw in a lot more scans here.
So, by what criteria an I judging this book?
It's a children's book. With that in mind, I'm judging this one my desire to read this with my kids. Admittedly, my daughter is only old enough to stick her plush Cthulhu into her mouth, but I'm planning for the future.
The one caveat is the existence of the four pages where trolls kidnap humans and scream at them until the captive becomes a troll themselves. That costs a star due to being literal nightmare fuel for a young kid. Aside from this, I'm glad to have this in my collection.
October 30, 2007
I loved this book when I was a kid, and if I could find a copy now I would probably still love it. This book more than almost any other made me really smell, hear, and feel the scenes in the pictures. Memories that stand out include the cool dripping in the grotto, and the delight at seeing the intricate workings inside the underground Troll Mountain. I also loved how the reader is led through the book by a solitary traveling troll.
Warning--not for the very young. There are some scary scenes.
Warning--not for the very young. There are some scary scenes.
November 29, 2008
I wish there was a cover image for this book. I remember being engrossed in this book as a child and reading it over and over again. I still have it, ragged on my shelves, and when my local library had a booksale I found a similar book of Gnomes that I hope my little toeheaded nephew will love just as much.
July 12, 2013
I just got this gem through inter-library loan and read it to the kids today. It's out-of-print, and the cheapest used copies I can find online are $70. I'd be thrilled to stumble upon a copy someday at a thrift store.
December 17, 2025
(Read as a kid, review from 2025)
Took me years to remember the name of this one. Wasn't the biggest fan as a kid because some of this was downright creepy. But the illustrations were still pretty great!
Took me years to remember the name of this one. Wasn't the biggest fan as a kid because some of this was downright creepy. But the illustrations were still pretty great!
May 23, 2020
Certainly unique!
December 31, 2022
Gifted to me and a flood of memories…curled up in the 398.2’s as a third grader mesmerized by folklore and fairy tales. For better or for worse, this is one in my canon!
February 16, 2024
Fantastic. The last third is especially great.
November 10, 2025
I used to spend countless hours getting lost in the fantastically detailed illustrations, especially the troll castle and the underground tunnels of Troll Mountain. It’s a beautiful book.
March 16, 2015
Of course I read this book (and had it read to me) years ago when I was a child, but I reread it recently. I was prompted to find and read it again when another book by this author (The Castle Book, which I have not read) passed through the library and I recognized the art style and this awakened a desire to revisit this book. It is a gloriously strange and fascinating book. I love all of the cut-away views of the various troll dwellings and all of the digressions discussing different sorts of trolls and similar creatures. I wonder if this is part of why I still like books about creatures and monsters now? At the same time, there's something sort of creepy about how the trolls are depicted, somewhere between harmless yokel and casually destructive brute, depending on the circumstances and the exact troll, and I think this aspect sort of haunted me when I was younger. On a sort of related note, it seems quite odd that in the section about the Night Trolls there is a road that leads straight from the village, over a nice stone bridge, and up to the door of the troll's home; what sort of reason would there be for such a road?
It is interesting that the book, while lacking a narrative arc, appears to be visually tied together: the first troll that is shown with his distinctive club over his shoulder seems to appear again at the end as the visitor who arrives at Troll Mountain and wanders about through its halls and rooms, though I could be mistaken, since all of the trolls look more or less alike and are mainly distinguished by clothes, and the color in the book I've read is a bit faded so it is hard to be sure if it is meant to be the same troll or not. But if it is true, it is an interesting device. It is also interesting how the book lacked narration, yet at the end there is a sort of brief narrative arc that builds over a few pages of the trolls having a party then winding down for the night; I suspect it is a structure that exists specifically for reading to children, a parallel structure to encourage them to go to bed after the story.
It is unfortunate that this book is not readily available anymore. Given the high prices used copies command, one would think the publisher would re-release it and have that money flow to them rather than kick about in second-hand sales. But I've noticed that the newer Berenstain Bears books that I see at the library, the ones worked on or written entirely by Mike Berenstain, are all super preachy, stuffed full of references to god and Christianity that were not in the books I read as a child. And so I wonder if this book will not be re-released because it doesn't fit the Christian milieu he now seems to write for. But this is idle speculation on my part.
It is interesting that the book, while lacking a narrative arc, appears to be visually tied together: the first troll that is shown with his distinctive club over his shoulder seems to appear again at the end as the visitor who arrives at Troll Mountain and wanders about through its halls and rooms, though I could be mistaken, since all of the trolls look more or less alike and are mainly distinguished by clothes, and the color in the book I've read is a bit faded so it is hard to be sure if it is meant to be the same troll or not. But if it is true, it is an interesting device. It is also interesting how the book lacked narration, yet at the end there is a sort of brief narrative arc that builds over a few pages of the trolls having a party then winding down for the night; I suspect it is a structure that exists specifically for reading to children, a parallel structure to encourage them to go to bed after the story.
It is unfortunate that this book is not readily available anymore. Given the high prices used copies command, one would think the publisher would re-release it and have that money flow to them rather than kick about in second-hand sales. But I've noticed that the newer Berenstain Bears books that I see at the library, the ones worked on or written entirely by Mike Berenstain, are all super preachy, stuffed full of references to god and Christianity that were not in the books I read as a child. And so I wonder if this book will not be re-released because it doesn't fit the Christian milieu he now seems to write for. But this is idle speculation on my part.
November 18, 2019
I can see how this made a lasting impression on people who read it when they were kids, unfortunately, the awe and whimsy is lost on adult-me who has seen several iterations of this sort of thing before (back when they were supposed to be imprinting on me like this did on everyone else!). Cool troll skyscraper, tho.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews