- Illustrated Chapter Books
- Ages 7–10
- Fantasy
Hilda and the Great Parade
Book 2 of 9 in Hilda Chapter BooksView the full series
Part of the Hilda universeOpen the collection
A city-set Hilda tie-in about finding wonder after a big move. It is especially useful for children who like magical adventures but also recognise worries about fitting in somewhere new.
- Best for7–10
- FormatIllustrated
- Length200 pp
- Read aloud~2 hr50 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Adventurous
- Whimsical
- Warm
- Thought provoking
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Hilda has moved from the wilderness to Trolberg, and city life is not proving easy. The streets are busy, the rules are different, and the other children do not immediately share her way of seeing the world. But Trolberg has its own kind of magic, and when Hilda encounters an injured bird with a mysterious connection to the city's great parade, an ordinary day turns into another strange adventure. This illustrated chapter book adapts the animated series into prose while preserving the gentle humour, folkloric oddness and emotional intelligence that define Hilda. The story works well for children dealing with change, new environments or the awkwardness of making friends. It also broadens the franchise from wild landscapes into urban fantasy, showing that wonder can be found even when home changes.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 7–10
- Read aloud · 6–9
- Independent · 7–10
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
Moderate
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Works well for
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
3 / 5 · Workable
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Moving home
- Urban fantasy
- Tv to book bridge
- Hilda fans
- Gentle adventure
Avoid if
- Wants wilderness setting only
- Prefers realistic stories
- Dislikes tv tie ins
Particularly good for children who are…
- Moving house
- Reluctant reader
- Making friends
- Anxiety and worry
In the classroom
How it works in school.
Illustrated Hilda adventures — a classroom-library pick for fans of the comics moving into longer reads.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific feeling is finding magic in an unfamiliar place — Hilda, newly arrived in Trolberg, discovers a great parade pulsing with hidden creatures and old-folklore weight under the everyday city bustle. The Hilda chapter-book for a child who's recently moved and is hoping their new neighbourhood holds secrets.
- Secret world
- Friendship and belonging
- Animal companions
- Adventure and freedom
Why parents love it
The first city-set Hilda chapter-book — adapts the bird-parade episode from the show into prose, with Hilda finding magic in unfamiliar streets. Best for a child making the bridge from the Netflix series into prose-and-illustration reading. Strong second tie-in.
- Shared humour
- Conversation starter
- Quick to read
- Beautiful illustrations
In the series
Hilda Chapter Books.
9 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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