Troll Stinks!

by Jeanne Willis, Tony Ross (Illustrations)

Billy Goat and his best friend Cyril are messing about with the farmer's mobile phone, taking selfies and playing games... until they find the number for a troll. Their Grandpa Gruff says trolls are bad, so Billy and Cyril decide to get their own back by sending mean messages. After all, trolls really do stink! Don't they?

Genres: Picture Books, Technology, Childrens, Animals, Friendship

32 pages, Hardcover

Published November 22, 2016

About the author

Jeanne Willis was born in St Albans and trained as an advertising copywriter at Watford College. She worked for various agencies creating press adverts and TV, cinema and radio commercials. She is now a full-time writer and has published over 80 books. Her hobbies include gardening, reading (non-fiction), natural history and collecting caterpillars. Jeanne has also worked on scripts for TV, including POLLY POCKET and THE SLOW NORRIS, and a pilot TV series for DR XARGLE. She lives in North London with her husband and two children.

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two goofy billy goats find a cell phone and make the mistake of calling a troll thinking it's a mean, stinky, grown-up troll--wrong--it isn't. Read what happens next.

A good story about good cell phone manners.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kili Pukkinen löytää kännykän ja toteaa että sitä voi käyttää vaikka mihin. Vuohien homma menee kuitenkin perseilyksi, sillä nämä lähettävät ilkeitä tekstareita peikolle, ja päättävät vielä luvatta ladata tämän valokuvan nettiin.

Jeanne Willisin kirjoittama ja Tony Rossin kuvittama "Pukkien pikku pila" (Mäkelä, 2016) taitaa olla ensimmäinen lukemani kuvakirja, joka on pureutunut nettikiusaamisen kaltaiseen moderniin aiheeseen. Lopputulos on kohtalainen, mutta suomenkielinen laitos kärsii siitä, että Raija Rintamäen käännös soljuu eteenpäin hieman tönkösti. Runokuvakirjat eivät tosiaan ole helpoimpia mahdollisia käännettäviä!

[I'mogén · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this one! It was a good spin on the classic nursery rhyme of the 3 Billy Goats Gruff, but in a modern setting, using cyber bullying to make a point.


I think it was done well, it rhymed brilliantly and felt impactful. I like the scruffy style of illustration too! 


I can add this to a display for work, if ever we need one for anti-bullying.


Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy!

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tämä kuvakirja kertoi kahdesta pukista, jotka päättivät käyttää löytämäänsä älyluuria pilailuvälineenä. Mutta mikä on oikeanlaista käyttäytymistä sosiaalisessa mediassa? Miltä muista voi tuntua tällaisen pilailun jälkeen? Niitä asioita tämä kirja purkaa atomeiksi, hyvällä tavalla.

Suosittelen lukemaan jokaiselle lapselle, joka tässä ajassa kasvaa.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting idea to introduce young readers to the issues of cyber bullying. The rhythm of the text is a little off in places, which is distracting, and the general message gets lost in an ending that is tied up too quickly. There was more damage done by the goats than they own up to, and the lesson is lost as a result. So, nice try, but not successful in the end.

[nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

picture book about digital safety and bullying. theme is heavy-handed and i didn't love the messy art. i wouldn't use it in a storytime, but would probably be an alright book for school or parent readings

[Kirjapallo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ihan hyvä kirja somekiusaamisesta. Mutta entä jos se peikko ei olisikaan ollut pieni ja söpö? Olisivatko pukit sitten pyytäneet anteeksi?

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle

Overall, this was a good book. I liked the perspective taken on cyberbullying. Many stories that tackle bullying come from the perspective on the person being bullied. I liked that this one looked at the perspective of the perpetrators. Very realistic in their views. They didn't think about how what they said might actually hurt someone, until they saw the damage of their actions. Very good message.

I wasn't a fan of the illustrations. There was nothing wrong with them per se, just not really a style I enjoyed. Kind of messy and wobbly-looking. Not very engaging to me.

I did like the rhyming text. Very creative.

Good story about cyberbullying and perspective taking.

[Theediscerning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following on from the excellent "Chicken Clicking" about getting carried away online, this twist on the everyday child story is just as wonderful. Here a goat finds a mobile phone, does some goofy things with a mate, and then trolls - well, a troll. Who turns out to not be the routine bridge-demonising, hungry troll after all. Sticking to a great rhyme, twisting the relationship between the troll and the goat (and of course twisting Internet terminology so it's the goats doing the trolling) - all about this is spot on; and another abject lesson in showing how books with a Serious Purpose can be thoroughly entertaining with it.

[Ronda · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I struggled some with the rhymes not always rhyming, I found myself engaged with the story, as these two "kids" went from one bad choice to another. The fact that they felt ashamed of themselves when they saw how their "fun" hurt the troll, helped redeem some of the bad decisions--but I wish they had given the phone back to the farmer. Could be a great discussion starter on digital citizenship, doing the right thing, consideration for others and empathy.

[Alicia Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to teach children how hurtful their comments online can be, and though it may seem like it's a bit of fun, it can really damage, and frighten those on the receiving end. Being a troll isn't funny, and this is a good message to teach children. Would recommend and will use this in my future classes.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

When some goats find a cell phone, they choose to use it themselves rather than return it to the owner. In doing so, they engage in online bullying through text messaging.

Cute story that will connect perfectly to my yearly discussions about internet safety, online bullying, and respectful and responsible device behaviors.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

An undeniably timely tale about online bullying. Children are reminded that there is a "someone" behind the screen, and that words can hurt. Parents probably won't like that the two goats didn't return the cellphone they took at the story's beginning.

[MeganRuth - Alohamora Open a Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a little obvious in it's message of preconceived notions and what we think of people without knowing them. I think you could use this to help start a discussion with teenagers or adults.

We all need the reminder that treating everyone with respect and kindness is just being human.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book to use with older children about internet safety and cyberbullying. Written in a poetry style makes the story flow well. Gets across the message of being kind to others and not using technology in the wrong ways.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really want to like this book. The message is be careful what you post online or what you send to others. The message was nice, the illustrations were excellent, but I still wasn’t thrilled. The cadence was there but the rhymes were harsh. And once again I just didn’t care for the story.

[Stacie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cyber bullying goat style. Author attempts to raise awareness of the problem, but this only comes after lessons in theft, fraud, and hurting the feelings of trolls. Cannot really recommend based on the values that were prioritized.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Um, eh? Tries far too hard to make a point about technology. And unexpected friends.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tries a bit too hard to with both its message and its modernization.

[Danielle H · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess we need picture books about digital safety now? I don't know, I liked the rhyming but this story was kind of all over the place.

[Georgie Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A modern story that looks at internet safety and online bullying. KS1/2

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good book! About thinking of others when bullying and how it may not seem like bullying to you but it could really hurt someone's feelings.

[Beckie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book to help open up the discussion of bullying and online bullying with your kids. Highly recommend.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this has a great message about being careful about your words on social media. Great book for 2nd - 6th graders.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great concept, but I didn't love the execution.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bullying in the age of cell phones.

[Syntha Green · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like the subject matter is for an older crowd than this picture book is intended

[Kaelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was a little bit funny 😆 and a little 😂 bit 😉mean.

[Olivia S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. I love Tony Ross' goat illustrations, and the troll is pretty cute. Good message, story is just okay. Would still display.

[Gretchen Oates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helps to teach kids about thinking before the post mean things.