Boy, the Troll, and the Chalk

A touching picture book about the power of art and imagination

But one child cannot turn his back on the troll at the edge of the playground. One day, he takes his chalk up to the mouth of the cave. He draws a flower with every petal colored in but one and leaves the chalk behind. The next day, the flower has been completed. Day by day, the boy and the troll finish each other's drawings, until they each draw a portrait showing a boy holding hands with a fierce, scary troll. “But you're not a troll,” says the boy. “You’re a boy—just like me.” Patience, kindness, and the power of art win out in the end: the two boys wordlessly draw together. Soon all the other children gather to join in with the game. Everyone forgets that there was a troll inside the cave. Because outside the cave, there is so much to draw. Award-winning artist David Litchfield’s illustrations bring life and color to this gentle tale of hope and friendship by Anne Booth.

Anne Booth is the author of many books for children, including Refuge, illustrated by Sam Usher, and Little Cloud, illustrated by Sarah Massini. Anne Booth lives in England.

David Litchfield is an award-winning illustrator and author. He is the illustrator of several picture books, including When Paul Met Artie: The Story of Simon and Garfunkel, written by G. Neri, and Rain Before Rainbows and Peace on Earth, both written by Smriti Prasadam-Halls. He is also the author and illustrator of The Bear and the Piano, which won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. His work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, and books and on T-shirts, and he has exhibited his illustrations in Europe and America. David Litchfield lives in England.