Bera the One-Headed Troll by Eric Orchard

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.

Bera the One-Headed Troll is a somewhat dark but heartwarming fantasy story told in the format of a graphic novel. The illustrations are fantastic and coloured in atmospheric shades of brown that work with the creepy looking characters found within.

Even sweet, loving Bera is pretty creepy looking, which is maybe a lesson in and of itself.  The book does cleverly raise the question of what it means to be a hero and who can be a hero.

Definitely recommended for children aged 7 and up.