Parents' Guide to

The 26-Story Treehouse: The Treehouse Books, Book 2

By Darienne Stewart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Clever sequel is goofy, gross, giddy -- and sweet.

Book Andy Griffiths Humor 2014
The 26-Story Treehouse: The Treehouse Books, Book 2 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

See all
age 9+

Based on 1 parent review

christent
christent Adult
April 16, 2021
age 9+

HOW is this rated two out of five for violence?

I was stunned by some of the contents of this book, and I'm not a parent to worry too much about that sort of thing. The amount of cartoon violence is ridiculous... beheadings, an electrocution, and all sorts of horrific accidents shown in pictures, including one where someone's skin is snatched off with a tattoo machine. It is seriously gross. My 7 year old son said, "Maybe I'll close my eyes on some of these pages, Mom." He was also disturbed by the part when parents are nourishing their son by mushing up his food and feeding it through a drip. Parents, please check out the pictures before reading. I could definitely see this working with older children, but for my kiddo, it was too much.

This title has:

Too much violence
2 people found this helpful.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Friends Andy and Terry have added another 13 stories to their crazy tree house, made from salvaged pirate ship parts: Now there's an antigravity chamber, a mud-fighting arena, an Automatic Tattoo Machine, and more. And they're working on a new book, the story of how they came to live in their tree house. It's a wild adventure story filled with wooden-headed pirates, a stinky fish, inflatable underpants, and flying cats.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (3 ):

THE 26-STORY TREEHOUSE, the loony sequel to The 13-Story Treehouse, has more everything: 13 more stories, 100 more pages, and more charm. It's also more clever, with metafiction, a story within a story, and a frame story that unspool a long tale with asides to treat sharks sickened by eating underpants, to fend off pirates, and to devour a 78-scoop ice cream cone.

It's a good choice for kids reluctant to transition to chapter books. Energetic black-and-white illustrations reward close attention, and extended illustrated gags -- a character's fall from a skyscraper is illustrated over nine pages, for example, and several pages picture a chase through a maze -- keep the pages flipping swiftly. And they aren't done building: Up next, The 39-Story Treehouse.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the layered story and the literary techniques used (such as metafiction and frame stories). What other books do you enjoy that use these techniques?

  • How does this compare with other illustrated stories, such as the Big Nate series?

  • Does this story -- with beheaded pirates and falls from great heights -- seem as violent as action movies?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended book lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate