This one follows a pretty standard theme in picture books: a character who doesn't fit the standard behavior of his culture. Cliff isn't good at normal troll things. He prefers piracy. Cute enough.

Cute book about wanting to be a pirate instead of a troll. It was an okay story but nothing particularly noteworthy about it. The illustrations were really well done though.

CliFF the Failed Troll (Warning: There Be Pirates in This Book!), written by Barbara Davis-Pyles and illustrated by Justin Hillgrove, is about feeling different and embracing who we are. A troll named Cliff who isn't very good at sitting still or being a "proper" troll. He'd much rather be a pirate anyway! "Ahoy!" he shouts upon meeting other trolls, who then remind him that the proper troll hello is "Go away!" After a report card full of Fs in bridge building, stoney staring, and even goat gobbling (he's a vegetarian!), Cliff sets off for pirate school. But are things different for him there? Aye, that they arrrre!

CliFF the Failed Troll is fun, cute, and supportive read. I really loved the art style. I thought the pictures were bold and interesting, and cute while not being overly so. I really enjoyed the style and think it was a perfect match to the text and mood of the book. The story was fun, as a trill struggles through school but in following his interests and heart finding a place that is just right. I think kids, and adults, need to remember that thinking differently or being interested in different things can be an asset rather than a problem if we can find the way to utilize it. I think adults exploring this book with young readers can be reminded of how valuable these differences can be in their child while the young readers get to see that there are different expectations in different places, and for different skills.

This humorous story is about appreciating who we are and knowing there is a place where we fit in the world.

Cliff is not a very good troll. He thinks he'd much rather be a pirate. And so he ventures off to follow his dreams and find his place in the world. I thought this was a cute story with funny illustrations and a wholesome message.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

A good colourful illustrated story book about a young goblin who's a misfit and could not perform well at school because he's different from everyone.

He changed schools but the story is quite realistic in a way that tells even if we are in the midst of good company, our grades mean something else. And it tries to tell that low grades aren't everything.

I love the illustrations and the way the story's been written.

Thank you, authors and the publisher for the advance reading copy.

Thank you Sasquatch Books and NetGalley for the advance digital reading copy of this book.

If Cliff isn't the cutest failed troll you have ever seen I will eat my hat! I loved this book! The illustrations were superb and the story was fantastic!

Highly recommend to everyone.

This book made me smile during the pandemic and I know it’ll make my students do the same. Cliff is a troll who just wants to be a pirate! Through ups and downs, he finally chases his dreams. Does he achieve it? That’s up to the reader to discover.
I loved this novel because it reminds me of my students. Some definitely have ants in their pants, but they try their hardest through it all. I hope my students can learn from Cliff and laugh crazily with him. This is a book I will be reading in my class for a long time!

CliFF was not your average troll. He did not have the interests of a typical troll. He did not have the skills of a typical troll. He did not behave like other trolls. He "Failed" as a troll. But failing as a troll was not the end for Cliff the Troll! Cliff aspired to be a Pirate! I absolutely loved this book and so did my 4 year old who, like Cliff, has ants in his pants(though he does not see them), does not sit still, particularly this year for a new style of 2020 Covid virtual kindergarten, requiring his active little body and rapidly developing little mind to sit in front of a computer for hours at a time, with the expectation of rapt attention. Cliff's "failures" as a troll brought up important conversations with my son about how people learn, thrive, grow and work differently within the world in which we exist, and how what we may see as failures in one circumstance may present themselves as talents and benefits in others. As the quote often attributed to Albert Einstein goes: "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."

Particularly now, as we all learn to adjust to new ways of living Post-Covid-19, I find Cliff the Failed Troll to be a sweet, refreshing reminder that we all have our own unique skills, abilities and value to offer, and while we may appear to be failing from one perspective, a different metric, shift of perspective or the right group of people in our corner can make all the difference! I look forward to other titles by Barbara Davis-Pyles and can't wait to recommend this title to others in our schooling groups, peer groups and book groups! It will be an immediate fixture on our bookshelf upon release. F for Fantastic!!!

Cliff the Failed Troll by Barbara Davis-Pyles was provided in an electronic format by NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. I very much appreciate the opportunity to enjoy this book and provide my review.

Cliff the Failed Troll is an sweet little story about a misfit who struggles hard to mould his personality to the traditional troll activities. He soon realises the value of following his dreams.

The story is really cute. In a simple way, it manages to it across the important point that everyone is different and if you fail at one thing, it doesn't mean that you are a failure at everything.

The illustrations are absolutely adorable. They seem to pop out of the page, and add to the charm of the story beautifully.

I read this book along with my little one. And it was a pleasure to hear her giggles as we went through the story. I have been instructed by her not to give anything less than 5 stars to this. I guess that shows that the book hits the mark with its target audience. 😅

"What's a pirate's favorite letter?" In this story, it isn't "ARRR", it's F. When Cliff the troll fails at troll school because he Fidgets, Fusses, and Fiddles, he opts to enroll in Pirate School with his new friend, Polly the banana slug. Nowhere is Cliff the same as everyone else, but he learns that being different is okay. Cliff's differences make him successful at being something different than what he's told he "should be".

I thought that this book was excellent!

The story is really well written and I loved the natural writing style the author has.

The illustrations were perfect and they really brought the story to life - and I loved Polly too!

Great morale to the story and underlying message too.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, lovely illustrations and a great story - very highly recommended!

It's a fun read. And this book sends out a message that it's okay to be different. Little ones will enjoy this book.

Cliff is a charming Troll who always struggles with troll school. He doesn't fit in and the others make fun of him. He decides he's not meant to be a troll and enlists in pirate school where he is committed to doing his best. As it turns out, being a pirate is his true calling after all! The story has humor and a good lesson about finding where one belongs in life. The pictures are also charming with the ugly trolls and mean-looking pirates. This would be a great addition to youth collections.

This story is about Cliff, a troll who has a hard time fitting in. He doesn’t want to be a troll and longs to be a pirate. So what does he do? He goes to pirate school. I loved the illustrations and the ending was just fabulous . A great book for young readers. Thank you Net Galley and Sasquatch Books for providing me a copy.

I received an electronic ARC from Sasquatch Books through NetGalley.
Delightful story of a troll who doesn't fit the norms. Cliff longs to be a pirate. After not doing well at Troll School, he signs up to attend a different one. On his way to pirate school, he meets Polly the slug and together they set off for adventure. He may not be a great troll, but readers discover he is an amazing pirate. Davis-Pyles writes with a humorous touch for younger readers. The message to be yourself is subtle but comes through the fun. I love the brightly colored illustrations and how much expression the characters have. Even when the trolls just want to sit and never move, readers can see their individual personalities.
Humor, brightly colored pages and a happy ending. Young readers will read this one over and over.

Cliff is not like all the other trolls. Because of his differences, he fails troll school. Because of his failure, he pursues his dream of attending pirate school. A good message with fun illustrations.

This is a beautifully written and illustrated book which myself and my 4 year old son loved reading so much so that he made me read it again to him straight away.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sasquatch Books for my ARC.

A adorable and sweet story about finding yourself and trying something new. I absolutely loved reading this and found it to be such a sweet message! The artwork is very cute and I think it would be a great book to read to kids! its got trolls and pirates, what more could you want?

Cliff is a young troll unlike all the rest. When he fails out of troll school, he takes the opportunity to pursue his true dream-to become a pirate! But will pirate school come as naturally as Cliff hoped? This is a cute, simply picture book with a lovable main character and funny illustrations. Students will love Cliff and his message-follow your dreams and be yourself!