The Shrinking of Treehorn

By Florence Parry Heide, Edward Gorey (Illustrator)

A boy mysteriously shrinks, ignored by adults, until a magical game offers hope.

4.2/5 Goodreads · 1,387 ratings

64 pages

$16.95Save 7%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Treehorn is shrinking, but no one believes him. His parents dismiss his plight, and his teacher sends him to the principal. As he becomes smaller, Treehorn stumbles upon a magical game that might restore his size. But just as relief sets in, a new mystery emerges—he's turning faintly green. Can Treehorn solve this new puzzle before it's too late? Dive into a whimsical world where the impossible becomes reality, and a child's voice struggles to be heard.

From the publisher

“If you want to pretend you’re shrinking, that’s all right,” said Treehorn’s mother, “as long as you don’t do it at the table.” But Treehorn wasn’t pretending. He really was shrinking.

Hilarious complications result as he becomes more minuscule by the moment. Treehorn is a bit downhearted when his teacher says, “we don’t shrink in this class,” and sends him to the principal. Poor Treehorn spends an unhappy day and night until he discovers a magical game that restores him to his natural size. This is a great relief to Treehorn before he notices that he is turning faintly green. . . .

An ALA Notable Book

Amazon.com Review

Treehorn is clearly shrinking, and his parents aren’t the least bit interested. His mother is obsessed with whether or not her cake will rise. His father, at one point addressing a son who can barely see over the table, states blindly, “Nobody shrinks.” Treehorn doesn’t seem all that bothered that his clothes are hanging over his extremities; he just feels someone should know. But the adults he tries to notify brush off his claim as either a ploy for attention or downright bad behavior.

Treehorn’s parents, his teacher, and his principal respond (or fail to respond) to his drastically diminishing stature in ways that will ring true to any kid who has tried to convince adults of the existence of fairies, the Loch Ness Monster, or things that go bump in the night. Edward Gorey’s stark, intricately patterned black-and-white drawings are simultaneously quaint and creepy, setting the perfect stage for Treehorn’s tale–a story for any child who has ever felt ignored by grown-ups (in other words, a story for all). (Ages 4 to 8)