The Shrinking of Treehorn (50th Anniversary Edition) by Edward Gorey, Florence Parry Heide
Published by Holiday House on October 27, 2020
ISBN: 0823447030
Pages: 80
Genres: Humor
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
Goodreads

I love that Edward Gorey is in right now and this book by Florence Parry Heide is a perfect companion to his illustrations. I originally picked this up because of Gorey but the book is hilarious and I’ll be reading more by Heide. It’s the story of Treehorn, a small child who is becoming smaller. And smaller. He’s shrinking and as obvious as it is to him, none of the adults in his life notice it, until they finally do, and then they dismiss it as unimportant. The book took a risk in that it could have come across as an indictment of all adults and our obliviousness to children’s concerns, and even though there’s definitely an element of that, it reads as more surreal than straightforward judgement. It’s laugh out loud funny and would be a great read aloud book for ages 8-12.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath