Grandad's Secret Giant

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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. The cover is stunning! The title and stars are embossed in silver; The palette features dark blues & greens — and cozy warm red tones. The village/neighborhood appears gingerbread-like! The endpapers turn from cold blue, at the beginning, to joyful warm hues — at the end: Mirroring the acceptance of the Giant. Litchfield uses pen, pencil crayons, watercolor - and digital tools to create the illustrations. The focus, in many of the spreads, lends a sparkling lifelike (and magical!) effect. We know from our volunteers that being a reading helper brings purpose and enjoyment into their lives. Find out more about the benefits of being part of our reading community here. Grandad's Secret Giant is a fabulous book written by the same author who brought us The Bear and the Piano. Billy, our main character, doesn't believe his loving Grandad when he tells him that there is a giant living in town, doing good deeds for all the residents of Gableview. Despite several attempts to convince his grandson, Grandad can't break down Billy's stubborn barrier and he refuses to believe that giant could move aroun town without being spotted. That is until a first hand experience changes his mind. This experience forces Billy to question his actions as he tries to undo a wrong. I read this book with my class of year 1 children and they loved it. Here are some of the things they said about it: 'I loved the colour pictures.' 'I really liked the ending.' 'I liked how the giant was described.' They all agreed that other children should have this book read to them and even mums and dads would enjoy it at bedtime. We would happily read this story, and others by David Litchfield, again. Think of some thought bubbles for the characters in the illustrations. What are they thinking / feeling? How can you tell?

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... In this story of hope and endurance, we follow a scientist and her team during their search for the elusive 'Giant Arctic Jellyfish'. Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark... David Almond introduces his new picture book, A Way to the Stars, a story about perseverance and finding a way to make dreams come true.Write a sequel to this book about an adventure that Billy, Grandad and the giant might have together. Find out more about how we will do the best we can to make your volunteer experience with us enjoyable and rewarding.

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. 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! Given the festive feel of the cover this could be mistaken as a holiday book… one of the main characters, a young boy, even leaves his house late at night (...Polar Express?). What a wonderful thing it would be, if a child were to read or receive this book around the December holidays; Imagine a conversation about the increasing necessity of acceptance during the holidays. Pazientzia apur bat gehiagorekin, bere aitonak beti kontatzen dionari buruz, baina sekula ikusi ez duenari buruzko zerbait gehiago ezagutuko du istorio honetako protagonistak. Eta, bide batez, oso garrantzitsua den zerbaitez jabetuko zara. Ilustrazio politak!

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The Giant feels sad and lonely even though all his neighbors proclaim to be kind and welcoming. A mural (on a wall), meant to welcome all, is created; However, the Giant remains overlooked. All it takes is one person (and a little adult guidance 😉) to realize that the Giant needs what we all need: A friend. Little Billy doesn't believe his grandfather's stories about the humongous giant that helps out around his small town of Gableview. If there really were such a huge man running around, everyone would see him, he reasons. His grandfather replies that the giant might be staying hidden, because people tend to fear and distrust that which is unusual, or looks different to them. When Billy finally does encounter the giant, his initially frightened reaction seems to bear out his grandfather's words. Conscious that he has hurt the gentle giant, Billy sets out to find a way to make restitution... 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. This is an incredibly rich text, that would work beautifully as an in-depth shared class read for a sustained period of time (i.e. over several weeks, or as a focus text for a half-term). I think it would lend itself best to a Year 1 class (KS1), though could also be shared and enjoyed in a lighter-touch way in the final Summer term for a Reception Class.

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