Trolls band together, p.1
Trolls Band Together, page 1
DreamWorks Trolls Band Together © 2023 DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved. Published in the United States by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019, and in Canada by Penguin Random House Canada Limited, Toronto. Random House and the colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.
rhcbooks.com
Hardcover ISBN 9780593702765
Trade Paperback ISBN 9780593702772
Ebook ISBN 9780593702789
Random House Children’s Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.
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Contents
Cover
Copyright
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Insert
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This story began a bunch of years ago, before the Bergens discovered they loved eating Trolls. Before the Trolls escaped from the Bergens. And before Poppy and Branch taught the Bergens they could be happy without eating Trolls. Before all that stuff happened, there was a band of boy Trolls.
A band called BroZone.
BroZone was popular. SUPER popular. Trolls flocked to their live concerts. Collected their albums. Lined up to get their autographs. Memorized the lyrics to their hit songs. Everyone loved their catchy tunes, their tight harmonies, their smooth dance moves. Trolls just couldn’t get enough of BroZone!
On the day this story begins, the five members of BroZone (who also happened to be brothers) were about to kick off their Perfect Family Harmony Tour with a huge concert in the old Troll Tree’s arena. “BROZONE! BROZONE! BROZONE!” the massive crowd chanted, eager to see their favorite performers live onstage.
“Three minutes to showtime!” the stage manager announced.
A blue-haired baby Troll in a diaper—the youngest brother—nervously peeked out through the stage curtain. John Dory, the oldest brother, paced behind him, going over the list of songs they’d sing that day, trying to pick the best order possible.
“All right, guys,” said John Dory, pulling a pen out of his green hair. “We’re gonna open with “Girl Baby Girl” and close with “Baby Baby Girl.” Wait, no—that doesn’t sound right. Oh, I got it! Open with “Baby Baby Girl” and close with “Baby Baby Girl Woman.” Yes! We are going to make boy-band history tonight.” He looked around. “Where are my brothers?” He hurried back into the dressing room to make sure they were all ready to go onstage.
Spruce, the heartthrob brother with purple hair, was doing sit-ups. Clay, the funny brother with yellow hair, walked up to John Dory wearing a sparkly pair of underpants.
“Do I really have to keep wearing these things?” he complained.
“C’mon, Clay,” John Dory said. “They’re Funderdrawers! Underwear, but seventy-six percent more fun! Now let’s see those dance moves!”
“Fine,” Clay said with a sigh. He did a quick series of dance steps, naming them while executing them perfectly. “Rusty robot into wiggle worm, and end on caliente puppet.”
“Not bad,” John Dory said, stroking his chin. “But your robot could be rustier. And your worm wigglier.”
Clay looked annoyed. “Don’t you want my puppet caliente-er?”
“I wasn’t going to say it,” John Dory said, “but yeah. Definitely.”
Floyd, the shy, sensitive brother, put the finishing touches on his magenta hair. “Bro,” he told John Dory, “you look stressed. Breathe.”
“Of course I’m stressed!” John Dory said, exasperated. “It’s the first show of the tour. We have to hit the Perfect Family Harmony. We promised the fans!”
Floyd patted the air with both hands. “Calm down,” he whispered. “You’re making Baby Branch nervous.” Baby Branch was the youngest brother in BroZone, who would grow up to be the Troll known simply as Branch. Back then, he was known to the fans as Baby Branch, aka the Baby.
John Dory looked over at Baby Branch, who was anxiously fiddling with the pink glasses he’d been given to wear onstage. “He’s not allowed to be nervous,” John Dory said sternly. “He’s gotta be perfect!”
Floyd shook his head. “Cut him some slack, John Dory. It’s his first live show.” He went over to his youngest brother and bent down. “Hey, Baby Branch. How you feelin’?”
Baby Branch clutched his stomach. “Like I’m gonna barf and pass out.”
“You got the preshow jitters,” Floyd said, patting him reassuringly. “It’s totally normal. Everyone gets them. Know what I do when I get them?”
“Barf and pass out?” Baby Branch guessed.
Floyd chuckled. “I remember that I’m with my brothers, and that when we come together, there’s nothing we can’t do.”
Clapping his hands, John Dory called his brothers to gather around. As the oldest, he’d long since taken the role of leader. “All right, boys,” he lectured. “Just remember: no matter what you do, follow my lead.”
From out in the arena, they could hear the restless audience chanting, “PER-FECT! FA-MI-LY! HAR-MO-NY! PER-FECT! FA-MI-LY! HAR-MO-NY!!”
Clay gulped. “It’s just so much pressure!”
The stage manager poked his head into the dressing room. “Ten seconds!”
“If we can’t hit the Perfect Family Harmony, we aren’t perfect,” John Dory insisted. “And if we aren’t perfect, we’re NOTHING! Being nothing is definitely not an option. So just follow my lead.” He stuck his hand out, palm down. “Let’s do this!”
Each of his brothers piled their hands on top of his. Together, John Dory, Spruce, Clay, Floyd, and Baby Branch shouted, “IT’S BRO TIME!”
A smooth-voiced announcer spoke through the arena’s loudspeakers. “Ladies and gentlemen! Here they are!” Throngs of fans cheered, clapped, and stomped their feet.
“The Heartthrob!” the announcer said, introducing Spruce. Spruce walked onstage blowing kisses. Pop Trolls fans squealed with delight. Spruce was so dreamy!
“The Fun Boy!” said the announcer, and Clay popped out through the curtains doing his dance moves. The audience laughed and applauded. They thought he was hilarious no matter what he did.
“The Sensitive One!” Floyd entered slowly with both hands pressed against his heart. The Trolls closest to the stage sighed, wishing they could take care of him and protect him from all the harsh things in the world.
“The Leader!” said the announcer. John Dory strode onstage, full of confidence and determination. The audience cheered, ready to follow him wherever he wanted to take them.
“And making his first live appearance, the Baby!” Glitter burst over the stage, revealing Branch suspended on a wire.
“Awwww!” the whole audience said, charmed by the adorable sight.
BroZone rolled right into their first song. Cool, calm, and collected, John Dory danced up a storm. Spruce blew another kiss, and the fans went wild. Clay added little goofy touches to the dance steps, getting lots of laughs. Floyd shed a single tear as he sang. And Branch flipped down off his wire, sticking the landing perfectly, nailing every move and every note as the five brothers came together.
They were in perfect sync, moving and singing as if they were one person. Everyone in the audience sensed that something very special was happening on the stage that night. They felt lucky to be there to witness it.
The five brothers hit a chord and held it. Offstage, a water glass broke. KSHHH! Overhead, a light bulb shattered. SHHINK! The brothers looked at each other. It was happening! They were achieving the PERFECT FAMILY HARMONY!
“It’s working!” John Dory hissed. “Come on, guys! Follow my lead!”
But when they realized how close they were to perfection, the brothers got excited and tried way too hard, pushing their singing till it was out of tune. Their harmonies were off. They messed up the rhythms. And then their moves went out of whack. They bumped into each other, they tripped, they got tangled up in a vine and swung into the air, banging into each other and finally bringing the whole set down. CRASH!
Stunned, the audience went silent.
The stage manager crept into view. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said to the crowd, “please stand by. We are experiencing”—he looked around, unsure how to describe the d
Moments later, the members of BroZone stormed into their dressing room. “See what happens when you don’t follow my lead?” John Dory said accusingly.
“Dude!” Spruce said sharply. “That is EXACTLY what happens when we follow your lead!”
Branch looked up at his older brothers anxiously. He didn’t like it when they fought.
“Oh, so this whole mess is MY fault?” John Dory asked. “Is that what you’re saying? I know we can reach the Perfect Family Harmony—”
“What if we don’t want to?” Spruce interrupted.
Clay stepped next to Spruce. “Yeah, dude. BroZone used to be about fun. Now it’s all about being perfect.”
John Dory winced. That stung.
“You know what?” Spruce said, suddenly making up his mind. “I’m done playing the heartthrob. My exquisitely chiseled, rock-hard abs and I quit!”
“I quit, too,” Clay said. “And you can keep these!” He tossed the sparkly Funderdrawers right in John Dory’s face. “I’m more than just the fun one. I’m in a sad-book club! I’m gonna go find Trolls who take me seriously.”
“Fine!” John Dory shouted, tossing the Funderdrawers on the floor. “I don’t need this. I’m out, too. I’m done. I’m gonna go hike the Neverglade Trail. By myself. Bro-lone. Yeah, that’s right. Bro-bro goin’ solo!” He grabbed his backpack and climbing gear and swung his leg over the sill of the dressing room window, ready to rappel down to the ground. “Goodbye forever!”
“Fine by me!” Clay said, stomping out of the room.
“Good riddance!” Spruce said as he exited.
“Guys!” Floyd called after them in his gentle voice. “Please, guys! Come on!” But his pleas were too late. John Dory, Clay, and Spruce were gone.
Branch looked like he was going to cry. “It’s my fault,” he said. “I ruined everything.”
Floyd crouched down and put a comforting hand on his baby brother’s shoulder. “Branch, this is not your fault.” He stood up and turned to go.
“Floyd!” Branch protested. “You’re not leaving, too?”
Floyd turned back and smiled gently. “Not forever. I’ll be back, I promise. But right now, I have to follow my heart. It’s telling me it’s time to start a solo career.”
Branch looked stricken. “But what am I gonna do?” he said, his voice breaking.
“Branch, you’re going to do the most important thing of all,” Floyd assured him. “You’re going to take care of Grandma.”
Their grandmother sat at a table in the dressing room, dealing cards. “Come on, Branch,” she urged. “Let’s play some rummy! But I won’t let you win, because I play for the money.”
“When you miss me,” Floyd said, “you can wear this.” He took off his green vest and handed it to Branch. “It’ll be like I’m right here with you.”
Baby Branch ran to his dressing room mirror and grabbed a drawing he’d made. He handed it to Floyd. “And when you come back, we’ll make our hideout.”
Studying the drawing of a hideout with rooms for each brother, Floyd smiled. It had a kitchen, a lounge, and special closets for all their costumes. “Definitely. Is that a ten-story waterslide?”
Branch nodded proudly. “Yeah, that’s how we’ll shower.”
“Well, then, we’d better put this plan in a safe place,” Floyd said, folding up the drawing and putting it in the inner pocket of the vest he’d just given him. He hugged his brother and said, “I’ll see you soon, Baby Branch.”
He walked to the door, turned to his brother, and waved goodbye.
“Bye,” Branch said, waving back. “See you later.”
A bunch of years later, grown-up Branch listened to an old BroZone album in Grandma’s tree pod. Grandma was long gone, eaten by a Bergen. Branch hadn’t seen his brothers once in all those years since BroZone had broken up. Listening to his younger self and his brothers sing together, he smiled. Tears formed in his eyes.
Poppy peeked through the door, watching Branch for a moment. Then she cleared her throat to let him know she was there and said, “Branch?”
He quickly stopped the music and tossed the album aside. “What? Oh! Hey.”
Poppy walked into the pod. “Are you all right? You’re smiling and crying at the same time, and it kinda looks like it’s hurting your face.”
“It does hurt my face,” Branch admitted. “I guess I’m just missing my…” He was about to say “brothers,” but quickly stopped himself, remembering that he’d never told Poppy about his four brothers. “…grandma. I was just listening to some of her old records.”
Poppy picked up the album he’d tossed aside. “BroZone? No way! I LOVE BroZone!”
“Really?” Branch said, surprised and pleased. Then he put on a bored voice, pretending he couldn’t believe Poppy loved such an uncool band. “I mean, really?”
“I didn’t know you liked them, too,” Poppy said, excited.
Branch scowled and shook his head. “I don’t. I’m actually hate-listening. It’s a new thing. My grandma had very questionable taste.” He gestured toward the room they were standing in, hoping to change the subject. “I mean, just look at how she decorated this place. I’m sorry, but there are just some things that shouldn’t be macramé’d. Am I right?”
He quickly tucked the album back in with the others, making sure Poppy couldn’t see the picture of him as a baby on the cover.
Poppy narrowed her gaze suspiciously. “It kinda seems like there’s something you’re not telling me.”
“What? Don’t be silly. No….”
“Hey, I need you to be real with me,” Poppy said firmly. “It seems like more than a macramé issue. If you’re having feelings, you can talk about them with me.”
“Okay, you’re right.” Branch checked his watch. “Oh, hey! Look at the time. We’re going to be late to the royal wedding! Let’s go get married!”
Poppy looked shocked. “Branch!”
“What?” Branch looked a little stunned, too. “I mean, let’s get Bridget and Gristle married.”
“Yeah,” Poppy said. “Because it would be weird if we got married.”
“So weird,” Branch agreed. “Duh.”
“Wow, the weirdest,” Poppy said. “It’s, like, weird that we’re still talking about how weird it was, and it’s, like, fifteen seconds later.”
“Bleh,” Branch said, shaking his shoulders, as though he were trying to shake off the weirdness of the moment.
“Bleh!” Poppy said a little too loudly.
They were already dressed for the wedding. Poppy wore a dress with a puffy white skirt that looked like a cloud, and a colored headband decorated with puffballs. Branch wore a shiny green-and-blue vest, gleaming pants, and a purple bow tie. They ran out of the pod, jumped on the backs of two light-blue Glowflies, and zipped off to the royal wedding of King Gristle and his beautiful bride, Bridget.
Poppy and Branch flew straight to Bergen Town, where preparations were already well underway for the royal wedding. The streets were crowded with Bergens and Trolls who were excited for the ceremony and the big party afterward. Working together, they hung decorations, set up chairs, and covered tables with food. Many were already singing and dancing.
Up at the castle, Gristle awoke in his bedroom. “Oh, boy,” he said, rubbing his head. “That was a crazy bachelor party!”
Cloud Guy woke up in the castle, too, having spent the night. “Uhh,” he groaned. “Cloud Guy don’t feel so good.” He’d had way too much to eat at the party, where he’d stuffed himself silly.
Branch, Cooper, and Prince D helped Gristle get cleaned up and dressed in a tuxedo so he’d look his best on his wedding day.
