- Graphic Novels
- Ages 8–12
- Fantasy
Hilda and the Mountain King
Book 6 of 6 in Hilda Graphic NovelsView the full series
Part of the Hilda universeOpen the collection
A satisfying, higher-stakes culmination of the main Hilda graphic novels, built around empathy for feared outsiders. Best read after Hilda and the Stone Forest because it continues that cliffhanger directly.
- Best for8–12
- FormatGraphic
- Length76 pp
- Read aloud~36 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Literary
Tone
- Adventurous
- Exciting
- Suspenseful
- Heartwarming
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Hilda wakes to discover that she has become a troll, while her mother is left terrified and confused by the creature apparently in Hilda's place. As Hilda tries to understand troll life from the inside, tensions between humans and trolls in Trolberg escalate toward disaster. The story becomes a race to reunite mother and daughter while preventing fear, prejudice and militarised authority from turning misunderstanding into violence. This is the most cinematic and high-stakes of the main Hilda graphic novels, but its core remains deeply humane: monsters are rarely only monsters once you understand what they want and fear. It is a strong finale for readers who have grown with the series, combining body-swap strangeness, family emotion, folklore spectacle and a clear message about empathy across difference.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 8–12
- Read aloud · 7–11
- Independent · 8–12
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Works well for
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: scary imagery, violence.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
1 / 5 · Tough fit
Graphic intensity
5 / 5 · Intense
Best for
- Series finale
- Empathy for monsters
- Bigger stakes
- Parent child story
- Fantasy action
Avoid if
- Very sensitive to peril
- Wants standalone story
- Bedtime only
- Dislikes body swap stories
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Anxiety and worry
- Nightmares or fears
In the classroom
How it works in school.
Luke Pearson's enchanting Hilda graphic-novel series — a beautifully drawn reluctant-reader favourite and classroom-library cornerstone.
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 weight is becoming the monster — Hilda waking up in a troll's body, her mother left terrified by the troll-girl in her bed, and the slow horrifying realisation of how humans look from the other side. The Hilda finale that turns the series' empathy theme into the actual plot.
- Adventure and freedom
- Making a difference
- Shapeshifting
- Surviving danger
- Transformation
Why parents love it
The closing volume of the main Hilda graphic novels — body-swap premise turned into the most emotionally serious entry, with a fearful city and an empathy-across-difference message that lands precisely because the previous five books earned it. Best read after the Stone Forest cliffhanger.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Conversation starter
- Great writing
- Shared humour
In the series
Hilda Graphic Novels.
6 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Luke Pearson.
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.
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