Should we beware the Trolls?

Today Paulette Dowle explains, through a Question and Answer we conducted, how the idea of The Troll Trotters came about, how she chose her character names and the importance of telling stories through picturebooks. My thanks to Paulette for taking the time to answer these questions and to Ant Barlow at Tiny Tree Books for suggesting the Blog feature.

Why did you choose Trolls as your primary characters? I wanted to gently challenge the idea of what children are expected to identify with in literature. So often, central characters are princesses, pirates, superheroes, or charming animals, figures that feel familiar and safe. With The Troll Trotters, I wanted to offer an alternative perspective.

Trolls traditionally occupy the margins of a story. They live under bridges, linger in the background, and are often portrayed as something to fear. That positioning intrigued me. What happens when the side lined character is given narrative space? What if the “monster” is not frightening at all, but humorous, expressive, and relatable?

By reimagining trolls in a light-hearted way, I hoped to expand the imaginative possibilities available to young readers. Children are wonderfully open-minded; they don’t need their protagonists to fit a narrow mould. Sometimes it’s the unexpected character who invites the most curiosity, laughter, and connection.

Were you ever afraid of trolls after reading about them in fairytales? Interestingly, no, I wasn’t. Even when trolls were portrayed as fearsome or looming under bridges, I was always more curious than frightened. I found myself wondering who they really were beyond the brief, often one, dimensional roles they were given.

In many traditional tales, trolls appear as obstacles to overcome rather than characters to understand. But as a child, I was drawn to the edges of the story. I wanted to know what happened after the hero crossed the bridge. Did the troll have a family? Did they have feelings? Were they truly as frightening as they seemed? And most importantly why did they protect that bridge so protectively. That early curiosity stayed with me, rather than seeing trolls as something to fear, I saw them as something to explore, and eventually, to reimagine.

How did the character names come about? Names carry personality, especially in children’s books. I wanted the names to immediately signal humour and character before a single page was turned. Grampy Grotface sounds a little gruff and crumbly, which fits his exterior, but there’s affection in 'Grampy' that softens him straight away. It hints that there’s more warmth there than first meets the eye.

Shabby Gabby, on the other hand, has a rhythm and bounce to it. The rhyme makes it playful and memorable, and “Gabby” suggests chatter, energy, and expressiveness. 'Shabby' gives her that slightly rough-around-the-edges charm that feels true to a troll living under a bridge.

I love how children respond to musical, slightly mischievous names. They invite laughter. And that was important to me, if I was reimagining trolls in a lighter way, their names needed to do some of that work too.

When you saw your characters come to life in the illustrations, were they as you expected? Seeing the trolls brought to life was a real moment. Tim Brunt interpreted them in the most wonderful way. While I had strong ideas about their personalities, he added layers I hadn’t even imagined, particularly through humour.

What I love most is how expressive they are. Their faces, their posture, the tiny visual details, they all enhance the storytelling. And then there are the outfits. They are bizarrely brilliant. Somehow completely on trend, yet very far from haute couture. That contrast perfectly captures the spirit of The Troll Trotters, slightly chaotic, unexpected, and full of charm.

Tim didn’t just illustrate the characters; he expanded them. The collaboration reminded me how powerful illustration is in children’s literature, it doesn’t simply reflect the text, it deepens it.

If you could rewrite a fairytale which would you choose and why? Sleeping Beauty, I would keep the grandeur of the original, but completely deflate the drama. In my version, the so-called 'wicked' fairy wouldn’t arrive in a cloud of green smoke, but in curlers. She’d discover the party gossip at the hairdresser’s while halfway through a perm, she overhears that all the other fairies have been invited to the royal celebration, except her, because her 'look' apparently doesn’t fit the aesthetic. The curse would be wildly over-specific and slightly inconvenient rather than catastrophic, and when the princess finally falls asleep, it wouldn’t be beautiful or elegant. There would be snoring. Possibly drooling. Definitely spectacular bed hair.

For me, the humour comes from shrinking the epic fairy-tale drama into something wonderfully human: insecurity, gossip, fashion mishaps, and a party that desperately needed better planning. Sometimes the “villain” isn’t wicked at all, just excluded, under-curled, and having a very bad hair day.

Would you consider Troll Trotters to fit into the fairytale or another genre? While trolls might make you think of fairy tales, The Troll Trotters is really a humorous adventure. It follows four modern-day trolls on a fun, chaotic journey to find a new home. With all the mischief, laughs, and silly situations along the way, I’d say it’s an adventure book packed with humour, perfect for children who love funny, imaginative stories.

Your Blog suggests a lifelong love of books and reading. Now you're published will there be more to come?

Absolutely! I have another book coming out with my publisher, Tiny Tree Books. It’s all very top secret at the moment, but I can say it will be just as hilarious as The Troll Trotters, and once again brought to life with the wonderful illustrations of Tim Brunt. I can’t wait for readers to meet the new characters and enjoy the laughs we’ve been creating.

What makes the picturebook an important type to you?

Picture books are incredibly special because they combine words and images to tell a story in a way that feels immediate and magical to children. For me, the illustrations don’t just show the story, they add layers of humour, personality, and emotion that words alone can’t capture.

I love how picture books allow children to explore ideas, laugh, and connect with characters all at once. They’re often the first way kids experience reading as a joyful, imaginative adventure. That combination of storytelling, art, and playfulness makes picture books my favourite form of children’s

What is it that you hope children will gain from sharing in this story?

My story is about four modern-day trolls who are misunderstood because of the way they look and behave. They lose their home, but against all odds, they find a new life out in the open.

I hope children take away that it’s okay to be yourself, even if you look or act differently from others, and that change can be exciting. Sometimes things can’t be helped, that’s just who you are, and facing new challenges can bring laughter, joy, and unexpected adventure.

Troll Trotters by Paulette Dowle, published by Tiny Tree Books, is out now.