Gentle Giant

by Michael Morpurgo

A tale of compassion, love, and the healing powers of nature from an awardwinning team. On a small island in the middle of a silver lake, there once lived a sad young man. He was sad because he had grown up into a giant of a man—very big, very strong, and very frightening. Because no one liked to go near him, his only friends were the wild creatures that lived around him. Then one day, he saves a girl from drowning. Little does he know that she will change his life forever. Drawing on all the arts of traditional storytelling, Gentle Giant weaves a tale of extraordinary relevance to our world today. Michael Morpurgo is one of the most respected children’s authors working today; a winner of the Smarties Prize and the Whitbread Children’s Book Award, he has also been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Fiction Award. Acclaimed illustrator Michael Foreman is a winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal as well as the Smarties Prize. The author–illustrator team have collaborated on a number of highly praised books, including Farm Boy.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Sir Michael Andrew Morpurgo, OBE, FRSL is the author of many books for children, five of which have been made into films. He also writes his own screenplays and libretti for opera. Born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in 1943, he was evacuated to Cumberland during the last years of the Second World War, then returned to London, moving later to Essex. After a brief and unsuccessful spell in the army, he took up teaching and started to write. He left teaching after ten years in order to set up 'Farms for City Children' with his wife. They have three farms in Devon, Wales and Gloucestershire, open to inner city school children who come to stay and work with the animals. In 1999 this work was publicly recognised when he and his wife were invested a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to youth. In 2003, he was advanced to an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL) in 2004. He was knighted in the 2018 for his services to literature and charity. He is also a father and grandfather, so children have always played a large part in his life. Every year he and his family spend time in the Scilly Isles, the setting for three of his books.

Reviews

[Jessica Vandewarker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gentle Giant is a book that confronts what and how people think about the others (whoever they may be). The Gentle Giant is the outcast and is forced to live life by himself, however, when a person finally takes a chance to know him, life is opened. This book will allow students to see how their thinking does the same thing. It will challenge them to be more welcoming. Students will be able to enjoy the pictures and see what can happen when we only accept people. The illustrations will lend themselves more readily to girls and in this it is a weakness. It's strong message is one that we all need to hear.

[Familia Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was growing up in the 80s there was a program in Indianapolis that read this book at Easter with Aaron Copland playing in the background. It might have been the symphony live. It transformed this book into a magical playground that wrapped around your imagination and plummeted you into a secret world of pureness. I will never listen to a simple read because I think it will dream the magic but if haven't read it yet, put on Copland Appalachian spring and read it to yourself. Hopefully you can catch a glimpse.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations.

[Kate Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

We love this story, my middle daughter used it for book character day. Very well done.

[Aruna Kumar Gadepalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This big book for young readers with illustrations deals with the interesting story.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story really captivated my class. They felt sad for the giant.

We talked about how fiction stories (this is a fairy tale) can also have facts in them after reading the afterword that said that water really can be cleaned by stitching straw together.

I've never read a Michael Morpugo book I didn't like.

[Rose]

E Mor

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an okay fable. No strong feelings for or against it. A bit like a Beauty and the Beast tale.