Bera the One-Headed Troll

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: December 14, 2016

Review

An adventure story with a reluctant heroine. Bera is a pumpkin farmer for the King and has never left her safe little island, but when a human baby washes up and Bera discovers that the evil witch Cloote wants the child for her own nefarious purposes, Bera sets out to find a hero willing to return the baby to its own kind. Turns out she is just the hero for the story. She eventually faces down the vile Cloote, temporarily taking away her power and ensuring the safety of the baby. For now. In sepia tones of detailed illustrations, Orchard tells Bera's tale. There are a few mentions of color in the story though the reader is left to imagine them as yellow and ochre are the only other colors in this land, and the goblins all look very similar. The story, with it's Norse folklore influence, is engaging. The reader will turn the pages to see if Bera succeeds in her quest. A nice first effort by Orchard. This reader wouldn't mind reading further adventures of this strong little troll though she wishes that Bera had pupils in those round, white eyeballs. For upper elementary and early middle school readers, though your older readers of adventure GNs will enjoy this one too.

Overall Book Score: very good