Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated
Little Troll
Penny Dolan
Tadpoles (Crabtree)
The text is written at a 1st grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for younger children (ages 5–8), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.
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About This Book
A small troll enjoys his peaceful home beneath a bridge until a group of mischievous goats start to tease him. When the goats find themselves in danger, the brave troll comes to their rescue, teaching everyone the true meaning of friendship and kindness. Together, they discover how to live happily side by side.
Themes
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 1-2 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include bullying, mild peril. Written for readers ages 5-8.
Why we rated Little Troll LE (Mild)
Little Troll is written at a Level 1-2 reading level across 32 pages (approximately 87 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 2 and up can manage Little Troll on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.
Read aloud, Little Troll takes about 1 minutes, which fits within a single read-aloud session.
We rate Little Troll as LE (Mild, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Bullying, Mild Peril.
Thematically, Little Troll explores friendship, kindness, conflict resolution, and fantasy world-building — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 5-8 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, kindness, conflict resolution.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.
For Parents
Content Intensity
LE · Mild · EmotionalReading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate
Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.
Content Flags
Was our "Mild" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
7/10High engagement — fast-paced, fun, and hard to put down. Great for reluctant readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780778738565
- Pages
- 32
- Publisher
- Crabtree Publishing Company
- Published
- 2008
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 87
- Read-Aloud
- ~1 min
- Text Density
- Picture-Heavy