The Shrinking of Treehorn by Heide is a children's illustrative book written in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Treehorn, the protagonist, narrates the story in the third-person perspective. While writing this book, the author focused on childhood development, parental involvement, game-play development, and isolation.
Treehorn is an abnormal child, and people around him think he is fond of lying. Absurdly, even Treehorn’s parents do not take him seriously because when he tells them that he is shrinking, they take it as a joke. However, the reality is that Treehorn is lessening instead of growing bigger, which becomes a concern. Unlike other children in school, Treehorn is unique because he continues to reduce in size while his age mates are growing taller and bigger. Consequently, non-normative childhood development is a major theme in the story. It also represents the different stages of development in children in various matters, such as learning. The reader learns that children grow differently because some look bigger than their ages, and also, there is a group that resembles Treehorn who look smaller than their actual ages.
The connection between parents and their children is another important issue that the author focuses on in the story. For instance, Treehorn’s parents are disconnected from their son because they take his words as a joke. Instead of taking time to understand why Treehorn says he is shrinking, his mother dismisses him and tells him those are his usual lies and jokes. The father is also not different because he argues that Treehorn is an attention seeker. However, at last, Treehorn’s parents are confronted with reality with they discover that their son is indeed becoming small and dysfunctional.
Florence Parry Heide uses other elements of literature, such as imagery, to enhance her work and make it more appealing. For instance, the author hints that Treehorn has an opportunity to grow bigger and be okay, but he needs to recognize the opportunity. The author writes, "So he moved the piece slowly from one space to the next, getting bigger with each space, until he was his own regular size again. Then he put the spinner and the pieces and the instructions and the board back in the box." The story's tone and mood are enlightening and optimistic, emphasizing the significance of parents getting involved in their children’s development and daily activities to boost their confidence and morale to face life with hope.
