Grandad's Secret Giant

Product Information

Write a sequel to this book about an adventure that Billy, Grandad and the giant might have together. Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark... Find the similes that Grandad uses to describe the giant. Can you think of any more? Make a simile notebook to collect examples that you find in other books. Can you design some new clothes for the giant? Could you stitch some new patchwork dungarees for him?

On 1st November 2017 Reading Matters merged with the national children’s literacy charity Beanstalk. This funny picture book for children three years and over comes from Britain’s best-selling children’s author David Walliams. It follows the day in the life of a school on bring your pet to school day. Miranda, who loves to be different, decides to bring in her pet snake to the dismay of her fraught teacher. Be warned: your class may want to follow suit after this reading session! Rather than recount a synopsis of the story (it's always a treat to read a quality book for the first time as a process of discovery without spoilers), I'm going to say a few brief words about my experience of reading it and how it could be applied to a Year 1 class, including cross-curricular opportunities to engender greater depth of engagement. Coram Beanstalk's annual BookFest returned to London in October 2023 with very special guests, Liz Pichon and Maria Motunrayo Adebisi. Read more... The plot is a thinly veiled spin on those less welcome in mainstream culture. Read: Unseen workers (dare I say: “illegal” immigrants?) that perform the gritty work that keeps society functioning. The Giant even wears patchworked overalls - perhaps symbolizing work ethic or diversity in society?

About David Litchfield

Can you think of other books that include giants? How are they similar / different? Could you write your own story about a giant (or a group of them)? But, what you really want to know is what makes The Boy and the Giant so special, and why was it on our kindness and inclusivity bookshelf? My girls love that Litchfield tells the story of a boy who doesn't believe there is a gentle giant living close by, one who does extraordinary acts of kindness for the townspeople. And, they love that the boy discovers the giant actually does exist! But, mostly, they are able to identify with what the giant wants most in the world: to connect, to fit in, and to feel loved. This picturebook is an absolute joy from start to finish. The story is simple and accessible with some lovely figurative language (He has hands the size of tables, legs as long as drainpipes and feet as big as rowing boats…). The contrast between the atmospheres created in the opening and closing endpapers would provide a great basis for a discussion. David Litchfield’s use of colour throughout the vibrant illustrations is excellent, as is the way that he uses body language to show the different emotions of the main characters. There is so much to see in the pictures that it is a book that requires repeated reading. Billy says that it was ‘IMPOSSIBLE’ for a giant to rescue their boat. Think of things that are certain, likely, unlikely and impossible. Use this as the starting point for other work about probability. With a little more patience, the protagonist of this story will discover something more about what his grandfather always tells him, but that he has never seen in person. And, by the way, you will realize something very important. Nice illustrations!

This week, Coram Beanstalk's first Liverpool BookFest took place at The Very Group's head office, bringing author sessions with Marie Basting and Mark Powers to Coram Beanstalk partner schools in the North West.

A GIANT story of belonging and friendship from David Litchfield, author ofThe Bear and the Piano. \"He has hands the size of tables,\" Grandad said, \"legs as long as drainpipes and feet as big as rowing boats. Do you know who I mean?\" \"Yes,\" sighed Billy. \"The Secret Giant. But he's not real!\" Billy doesn't believe his Grandad when he tells him there's a giant living in his town, doing good deeds for everyone. He knows that a giant is too big to keep himself hidden. And why would he want to keep himself a secret? But as time goes on, Billy learns that some secrets are too BIG to stay secret for long... A kind giant, who attempts to remain unseen, befriends a small child… sound familiar? Nope… not the BFG 😜 It’s the second book by the creator of the heartwarming picture book - #TheBearAndThePiano. Con un poco más de paciencia, el protagonista de este cuento descubrirá algo más sobre lo que siempre le cuenta el abuelo, pero que nunca ha visto en persona. Y, de paso, se dará cuenta de algo muy importante. Bonitas ilustraciones! Find out more about how we will do the best we can to make your volunteer experience with us enjoyable and rewarding. In this story of hope and endurance, we follow a scientist and her team during their search for the elusive 'Giant Arctic Jellyfish'.

Author Anna Kemp introduces The Hollow Hills, the sequel to her dark magical tale, Into Goblyn Wood. Last week, I recommended Super Manny Stands Up, as it had been a favorite when I stuffed our front-facing bookshelf with books about kindness and inclusivity. Today, I bring you another favorite from that huge collection of books: The Boy and the Giant, written and illustrated by David Litchfield. He has hands the size of tables, Grandad said, legs as long as drainpipes and feet as big as rowing boats. Do you know who I mean? Yes, sighed Billy. The Secret Giant. But he's not real! Billy doesn't believe his Grandad when he tells him there's a giant living in his town, doing good deeds for everyone. He knows that a giant is too big to keep himself hidden. And why would he WANT to keep himself a secret? But as time goes on, Billy learns that some secrets are too BIG to stay secret for long... The same author which brought us ‘The Bear and the Piano’ describes a grandson who doesn’t believe his grandad when he tells him that there’s a giant living in town. He remains stubborn until he sees the giant for himself, which leads him to question whether the giant is misunderstood. A classic tale of ‘never judge a book by its cover’, your young class will love the colourful illustrations, its uplifting ending and rich descriptions. The charming illustration and captivating story of a little creature lost on Earth wins high praise from teachers for its uplifting message that small acts of kindness can have lasting effects. A great book to accompany a KS1 Education for Social Responsibility lesson plan about kindness, like our Being Kind to You and Me mini scheme.

The prolific writer, Jeanne Willis, penned her first story aged 5. She has now written more than 80 titles and has won numerous awards. She teamed up with illustrator Gwen Millward to create The Bog Baby: a tale about a curious creature found by two sisters in a magic pond. The book is an exercise in reminiscing about a childhood event and how to write an engaging narrative for primary-level readers.