The Smartest Giant in Town

Heartwarming story for little ones, showing how kindness is more important than superficial appearances.

My son is now 27 months old, and his language is continually improving. He doesn't understand every word and story I read, and can get bored of long passages of text (even in his favourite Thomas books!) but he really appreciates rhythm and rhyme in a story. I decided, after seeing a couple of her books last year, that now would be a good time to try Julia Donaldson. The story is simple enough - a giant tires of wearing the same old raggedy clothes and decides to smarten himself up with a new outfit. He is very pleased with his smart, new look. However he gives away the new clothes item by item in order to help others less fortunate than he, until his new outfit is almost gone! What will he do without it? Now this story is not written in completely the same style as her other books we have read - there is not the same emphasis on rhyming couplets throughout the story (aside from the Giant's Song which is developed throughout the book). However there is a beautiful rhythm all through the book, and it relies on a simple theme - "It's not what you look like, it's what's inside that counts". Educationally, there are a variety of animals to meet, each item of clothing plays a part and some interesting situations are come across, all in a very entertaining manner. My son also gets worried for the poor mice who have lost their house - a good sign that he is engaged in the story. All in all a lovely book, ideally for a child over 2. (*Note: this book contains no Giant Nudity, and is suitable for little giants.)

I’m a big fan of Julia Donaldson so I didn’t think this book would disappoint. My son always asks me to read this book! It’s funny, we like to talk about the animals on each page and I would also make a great gift.

This is a really nicely presented book - it's got a metallic orange cover and special bonus pages showing 'the making of' this book by the illustrator and author. It's already one of my daughters favourite stories, so when I saw the 15th anniversary version going for a good price I bought 3 as I had some birthdays coming up for her nursery friends. I'm keen on this story in particular because at the heart of the narrative is a tale about altruism and selfless service to others who are in need. Putting the needs of others before your own in a great addition to the sort of moral compass I want to instill in my child while growing up. The best bit about the story is that this selfless giant is rewarded for all his kindness, as the community of animals he helped out rally round to gift him something special towards the end. A great moral tale.

My son enjoyed this book a lot and you can’t really go wrong with Julia and Axle . From a readers perspective it’s not my favourite of theirs and the words don’t seem to flow as nicely as their other books .

My 5 year old grandson loves this book. Pictures are beautifully designed and the story is perfectly pitched for a 5 year old. The occasional repetition of the clothing listed helps him to join in and the message of being helpful shines through, another Julia hit.

Julia Donaldon's books are just wonderful. We love them all, from the Gruffalo to Zog. This book is all about a giant who gets laughed at for wearing rags, but who decides to get spruced up. Then we find out that the reason he was in rags was that he has a big heart... At the end there's a lovely coming-together of all the characters, in a lovely ending that the kids will enjoy. Like all of her books, these are like auditory silk. The meter of the rhyme is soft, melodic, and the book sticks to simple, easy-to-listen words, so the kids can follow along. The artwork is lovely, and you can point things out which apply to the story. There's also a few other little extras in the picture that imaginative kids can talk along to. Great for the bed time. As the book draws to a close, the story becomes all warm and fuzzy, and the rhyme winds down to a lovely peaceful conclusion that'll help settle the kids and get them off to sleep.

Best

My daughter loves it & I love it. Got it at first from the library & my little one was sad to give it back. So,we bought it :) ....A wonderful storry about at first to fit in and to change,but then to help others in need and to realize that if you care and love others,then you will win rwal friends,loving you like you are!

Une super belle histoire, un trait d’humour et de belles illustrations, ma fille a adoré l’histoire ! Même à 2 ans, elle a écouté attentivement grâce au jeu de répétition dans les pages ! Top !

One of our favourite Julia Donaldson books with a great message of kindness and character!

Encantados con la compra! Ya tenemos más de 10 títulos de esta colección (nos enganchamos con el Gruffalo y desde entonces no hemos parado de comprar títulos de esta autora). Sus bonitas ilustraciones y sus textos fáciles de digerir incluso para niños no bilingües lo hacen un must-have en la estantería de nuestros hijos. El precio también es muy asequible para tratarse de libros en inglés y son títulos que difícilmente encontraríamos en nuestra librería habitual. En cuanto al vocabulario son textos muy repetitivos y con rimas que ayudan a los niños a asimilar fácilmente el contenido gramático. En este caso la historia trata de un gigante bueno que decide cambiar de look. De camino a casa ayuda a los animales cediéndoles su ropa nueva para diferentes propósitos. Una historia con moraleja que inculca valores positivos a nuestros hijos.

Hermoso, le gustó mucho leerlo a mi niña.