But it is Brad Thiessen's story that pulls together all of these wonderful illustrations. Orso and his father face a time-worn struggle. They must discover whether a son should always follow in his father's footsteps. For Orso's father, the future is clear: They are trolls; they scare people. However, Orso finds that really difficult to do. He longs for friends to play with, not to scare. In fact, the first day Father Troll decides to take Orso to work with him, Orso himself is so scared he runs back to his house and hides under the covers of his bed. (The illustration for this is simply hilarious!)

When Orso meets two humans-Lizzy and her brother Jacob-Orso realizes that they like him for other qualities that he possesses, and one totally unexpected in a troll. They think he's funny. Ultimately, Orso helps his father understand his choice to leave the family business, and even Father Troll decides it's time for a change.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and, unlike my elderly Norwegian neighbor who says, "I almost laughed out loud," I did.