Trollbella Throws a Party

The Land of Stories #Companion Picture Book

by Chris Colfer, Brandon Dorman (Illustrator)

It's Queen Trollbella's birthday and she's throwing herself an epic celebration. She has everything a troll girl would want: musicians, magical creatures, carnival rides, a gigantic cake, and more. So why isn't she having any fun?

Genres: Picture Books, Fantasy, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Audiobook, Middle Grade

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 11, 2017

About the author

Chris Colfer is an Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actor best-known for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the FOX television series "Glee".

He is also a New York Times bestselling author whose books include the first three novels in the "Land of Stories" series ("The Wishing Spell", "The Enchantress Returns" and "A Grimm Warning") as well as "Struck By Lightning: The Carson Philips Journal" which is a novelization based on the script he wrote for the film "Struck By Lighting" (Colfer also co-produced and starred in that movie).

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Each year my family reads all the Goodreads-award-nominated picture books, and we have been doing this for years. Everyone rates each book and adds a comment and it may (or may not) affect my overall rating. This is book #17 of 2017.

I feel I have to acknowledge that the family rating and view of this book is an outlier, statistically, since it has a very high overall rating, but we are going to stand by it. I even asked told everyone how off we were, and Tara even lowered her rating, on second thought! Yikes.

Tara: 2 stars. I like the art, but the story is same old, same old. Just okay.

Harry (12): 4.5 stars. "Everything is more fun when you have someone to share it with." I believe this comment.

Hank (11). 2.8 stars. Oh, you can have fun at any party by yourself! C'mon!

Jenn (adult family friend): 2 stars. Even though she becomes less selfish, she was still bossy.

Dave: 2 stars. Not a fan of story or art. Part of Colfer and Dorfman's "Land of Stories" series. The story seems like an excuse for the troll and goblin art. Doesn't tell us anything surprising or clever.

[Meg McGregor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trollbella reminds me very much of the little ones I have watched over the years!

She is intelligent, inquisitive, fun-loving and a little selfish!

After all, being the Queen, the world does revolve around her! At least in her opinion!

When she decides to throw her very best birthday party yet, she goes all out!

She.....

a. orders a cake, that is so tall she needs a ladder, to blow out the candles.

b. hires a clown, a magician, a face painter, and a band of goblin musicians.

c. brings in a petting zoo of magical creatures including unicorns, griffins, mermaids, baby dragons, two-headed puppies, and a litter of rainbow kittens! ,

(My favorite characters, (besides Trollbella) were the rainbow kittens! They are adorable!!!!

d. brings in a carnival including a Ferris wheel, carousel, roller coaster, swings, slides, and bounce houses!

But even with all of that, she was not happy until........

Well, you will have to read to find out!

This book is absolutely wonderful!

I intend to buy hard copies of this book and give it to my favorites little ones as their next birthday presents!

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Queen Trollbella enjoyed throwing herself lavish birthday parties, but this year something was wrong. No matter how many exciting acts she hired or lavish gifts she piled up for herself, she just couldn't seem to get into the right mood. Then she saw a little goblin boy enjoying her Ferris Wheel, and she realized what she had been missing: guests, and someone else to share her blessings!

The second picture-book set in actor/author Chris Colfer's magical Land of Stories world - the first was The Curvy Tree , published in 2015 - Trollbella Throws Herself a Party presents a sweet little tale about the joys of sharing, and the importance of generosity, in making us happy. Although I have not read the novel series, I nevertheless found the story here engaging, and think young children will as well. The artwork looked a little flat to me, but it is colorful, and will no doubt likewise appeal to its young audience. Recommended to young fairy-tale lovers, as well as to fans of The Land of Stories series.

[Zoey]

Trollbella is really funny!

[Katt Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this is lavishly illustrated and a lot of fun to look at, there's not a lot new to the idea of a selfish rich kid throwing herself a party and then realizing it's not as much fun as she thought. I agree with some other reviewer's thoughts, that she's still being bossy by the end of the book, and hasn't really done much for her subjects, or even showed more than a passing interest in them.

On the other hand I do love the rainbow kitties. :)

What bothered me most were the mermaids in the petting zoo. Was no one else a little shocked by that? They look like sweet girls, and it feels very wrong to subject them to this kind of situation. I actually flinched a little when I saw that. Maybe Trollbella needs a nice basilisk in her next petting zoo? *shakes head*

I'm sorry to say this book hit me wrong. The only reason this made it to three stars was because I liked the artwork.

[Spens (Sphynx Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5

What can I say? I guess I love picture books now and this was delightful!

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope Chris Colfer continues to write books for kids. This book had a great message, an adorable story, and awesome illustrations (complements to Brandon Dorman). Trollbella is having a birthday. And she can buy herself anything she wants, but she can't buy fun. That she will have to find on her own. A great book for now, and for future generations.

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, but predictable and underwhelming.

[Alice]

I'm so glad this series is expanding!

[Elinor Loredan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy, comforting illustrations and story. Nothing surprising, but a straightforward, valuable lesson.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have yet to read any of Chris Colfer's books in the Land of Stories chapter book series, but I loved this picture book. The illustrations were fabulous. I really felt transported into the fantastical world of goblins and trolls. In this tale, the queen, named Trollbella, throws herself the most incredible birthday party. She has a massive cake, tons of presents, clowns, musicians, magicians, rides, and more. But she can't seem to enjoy any of it. The catch is: there are no guests. It's not until a little goblin boy sneaks into the party and hops a ride on the rollercoaster that things change. His excitement and laughter actually make Trollbella enjoy herself at the party. She tells him to invite family and friends from all across the land, and a wonderful celebration ensues. Trollbella learns that the greatest gift is making other people happy, and that the best things in life aren't things.

[Maxwell Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first ever book I’ve read (heard?) as an audiobook. It was supposed to come with a file of illustrations, but I don’t think the library I borrowed it from made this available for download. I had to listen to it without pictures which is really disappointing, especially seeing as my library doesn’t even have a real life copy of it. I really wanted to read this book as it was nominated for Best Picture Book of 2017. I then found out it is a spin off of a series of books for older children. I attribute this to it’s popularity though I’m not sure why older children and parents would be interested in a picture book. Seems weird to me. This was also my first read of a book from the Fantasy genre, which was a welcome break from the overdone animal trope. The ladies voice had a very strong American accent and was good for my developing brain to hear and I did smile a lot when she did voices for the characters.

[Hannah Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trollbella is a little queen that throws a birthday party for herself in an enchanted kingdom. As she tries to make her party a big hit, she realizes she isn't enjoying it like she should. She discovers why she isn't enjoying her party when she runs into a little poor goblin boy. Trollbella learns a very important lesson of giving and sharing. By using classical folktale elements, Colfer creates an entertaining story. The artwork in the book is also phenomenal. Recalling a Renaissance setting makes it very magical to read.
This story teaches a very important lesson of learning to share and the joy of giving. Trollbella learns that sharing her wealth with someone that isn't as fortunate gave her a lot of joy. I think this is a great lesson for students to learn as they read this story.
The grade level for this book is grades kindergarten through third grade or appropriate for the ages 4-8. The genre of this book is fantasy. This book would be a great read aloud for the lower grades and a great independent book for the upper grades. You could teach summarizing, making predictions, making connections, main idea, and theme with this story. I think this would also be a great way to teach positive behavior and it shows students how sharing truly is caring.
This is a WOW book for me because I really love the positive, caring message it shares with students. It is especially harder for younger students to grasp how important sharing is and I think this story truly shows them how much joy it can give them to share with others.

[Lori Laws · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trollbella is a delightful fantasy book that is a perfect read aloud for Pre-K through second grade. Trollbella is the Queen of an underground kingdom! She gets to throw extravagant parties for her birthday every year. This year she really went all out, but even with a fabulous petting zoo of unicorns, rainbow kittens, two-headed puppies, and dragons, "this party is hardly a hoot." Will Trollbella ever figure out how to make this year's party one to remember?
Trollbella is a WOW book for me because of how cute and fun the book is and because of it's wonderful message of friendship. It also has high quality vocabulary for these younger readers to hear. I would use this in K-2 for teaching kindness, character traits, and feelings.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s Trollbella’s birthday so she celebrates by throwing a party, only she isn’t having any fun at her party. Thinking she is too old for parties, when she meets a goblin boy who turns everything around for her. This story was wonderfully written, and wonderfully illustrated. The message in this story was so beautiful and it was executed so well. Colfer is seriously a master of his craft; not only can he write middle grade books, but this picture book was so heartwarming and just outstanding. This companion book to his Land of Stories series was fun to read, and a little inspiring to do good to people.

[Jamie Dye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super sweet book. A troll queen starts out being a stereotypical stuck up snob. She learns, however, that life is not all about her. She ends up celebrating her birthday by celebrating a poor goblin boy's birthday, and finds herself to be much happier. I really enjoyed this book. Chris Colfer does an amazing job capturing so many emotions, and a complete change of heart for the queen. I would use this book in a class room by using it to teach kids about selfishness, and that life is not just about them.

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trollbella is ready to throw her best birthday party yet, but the more amazing things she adds, from musicians to magical petting zoos, the less happy she is - until she finds a goblin boy sneaking into the rides of her carnival, prompting her to give rather than receive. Colfer and Dorman bring young readers a cutesy tale brimming with colour and charm, a delightful spinoff for Land of Stories fans and newcomers alike. Can Trollbella find the source of her unhappiness before the party ends up wasted?

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm 18 turning 19 and I don't even care. It's a tale, I'm an "adult" and I don't care.
This was fun and sweet. The pictures are amazing. The story is good, definitely teaching something to little kids, like with "The Curvy Tree" (that was my favourite). I will definitely read it to my future nephews and nieces (and my kids if I have) one day. They will just have to bear with their auntie reading in English. 😝
And I definitely want a litter of rainbow kittens!

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trollbella has just created the most fantastic birthday party for herself with the BEST cake, the MOST presents, the GREATEST entertainment, and yet... she still doesn't get in happiness from it. It feels like something is still missing. Only when she spies a wayward goblin enjoying her party does she realize she needs to someone to share her experience with in order to make it worthwhile.

Illustrations are lovely.

[Bree Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Colfer brings another side of the Troblin queen to life. Trollbella learns it's better to share what you have and have friends to share it with.

The art work is done once again by Brandon Dorman. He does a wonderful, vivid job bringing to life the images of the Troblin kingdom.

Once again the tale teaches a lesson, just as all of Colfers' stories and tales. Venturing into children's story books is a natural step for him to make.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This picture book tells a kind story with fun pictures. My family may not be the ideal audience though; we picked it up after enjoying the Land of Stories chapter book series. We were hopeful this picture book would let us visit the Land of Stories briefly once again. However, my children felt that Trollbella in this picture book did not display her typical characteristics we came to know in the chapter books. Thus, our review score is biased.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has a certain didactic undertone that some might find unappealing. It's a little moralistic and lesson-driven, but it's still a simple, enjoyable story of a troll that learns to see the value in others. This story has no protagonist/antagonist relationship, but it doesn't really need one. It's really about character-building thoughtful behavior. Brandon Dorman provides his signature illustrations that many of my students are big fans of. In all, not a bad book.

[Jess Verzello · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the message that happiness is best found when sharing with friends. The illustrations were also colorful and engaging, really bringing this fantasy world to life. However, something just doesn't sit right with me that Trollbella never bothered to ask the goblin boy's name or possibly improve the quality of life for her subjects.

[Tilda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually read children's books, but I read anything Chris Colfer writes. I think I really would have liked this book when I was a child. It's a nice little story with a common, nevertheless important, message. Considering it's a children's picture book I think it is quite good. The illustrations are pretty!

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Princess Trollbella, reigning monarch of the troll and goblin kingdom, wants her birthday to be extra special. She pulls out all of the stops, but why isn't she happy?

Find out.

The illustrations by Brandon Dorman are STELLAR. If nothing else, read the book JUST for them. They're beautiful!

Good introductory book for fantasy for little kids or kids who are celebrating a birthday.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patrick's finished the Land of Stories series so I got the companion books and this one was better than I thought I'd be.

Trollbella throws a party that gets more and more elaborate as she doesn't seem to enjoy it more despite everything she's doing for herself. She learns in the end its better to give than receive.

[Chloe Goodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trollbella Throws a Party describes a troll queen who throws herself a birthday party, but is not satisfied with it because she has no one to share it with. Thankfully, she finds a friend who just happens to share her same birthday. The two have a great celebration together and show readers how much more fun you can have together!!

[Christine Turner]

Subject: Parties -- Juvenile fiction.
Queens -- Juvenile fiction.
Birthdays -- Juvenile fiction.
Kings, queens, rulers, etc -- Juvenile fiction.
Generosity -- Juvenile fiction.
Trolls -- Juvenile fiction.

[Vona Karns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little picture book of a character from the Land of Stories. I assumed it was going to be a chapter book when I downloaded it, but found it to be the picture book. It's sweet - Trollbella learns to care for others and not just herself.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another pull-out story from The Land of Stories novels. Trobella is having a birthday party and thinks that having wonderful presents, a cake, and carnival like rides will make her happy. What really makes her happy is giving to others.