Shhh!: Lift the Flaps But Don't Wake Up the Giant!

by Sally Grindley

Readers take a tip-toe tour through an intriguing castle and are dared to peek under the flaps into different rooms without waking the scary giant who is slumbering somewhere within.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fantasy

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1991

About the author

I came into children's books originally as Editorial Director of a nationwide children's book club, though I had written and directed a children's play while a student at Sussex University, which was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe. I wrote my first two children's picture books in 1984 and was lucky enough that Anthony Browne wanted to illustrate the second - Knock Knock Who's There? It was published in 1985, is still going strong today and is one of my most successful.

Shhh! was published in 1991 and has known great success in France/Belgium in particular (close on 300,000 copies sold). It's success in the UK - it won the Children's Book Award - was hampered by the liquidation of its original publisher.

I became a full-time author in 1995 and now have some 150+ titles published, the most recent being L'Histoire du Soir in France, Belgium and Italy.

Feather Wars, published in 2003, was my first sortie into young fiction and was followed by the very successful Spilled Water, which has been published in some ten different languages and is very popular in schools as a class reader. It won the Nestle Smarties Gold Award (and I wound up being a 'Pointless' answer on the back of it!) Broken Glass came next and was a Sunday Times Book of the Week.

I'm currently working on picture books again and have plans to illustrate one of my own in the not too distant future - watch this space!

Reviews

[Aline · Rating 5 out of 5]

C'est trop trop bien ! Et un super jeu pour les enfants ! On s'amuse toujours à le lire ensemble !

[Zelal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is loosely based around Jack and the beanstalk, but the reader is completely involved in the adventure.
We walk through the giant's castle, past his pet mouse, cat, hen and wife. We eventually go past the sleeping giant, but when look back to see if he's still sleeping...SHUT THE BOOK!!
I have seen this read by a reception teacher, who had the children completely captivated. The children are completely involved as they can lift the flaps and peek through.
I think this book is suitable for children upto Year 1.

[Thibaut Nicodème · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ngl i didn't remember the exact twist in this and it kinda freaked me out. I'm totally an adult.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came highly recommended by my sister, Karen; her kids absolutely have loved reading this book through the years. I was FINALLY able to find this book (it is out of print and hard to come by) through Barnes and Noble online used book seller, is was only $5.00 (and it was hard bound)!! People have charged much more for this book so I totally lucked out.

My kids ask me to read this book again and again. It's basically a Jack and the Beanstalk story, but YOU are the person tip-toeing through the castle, lifting up flaps, making sure you didn't wake the giant's cat, hen, wife, and the GINORMOUS GIANT!! The ending is really fun, it makes my girls scream and giggle everytime (even after reading it 3 times in a row -- go figure).

This book is a kid's classic -- if you can find it, it will be one of their favorites.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems to me that every person should have at least one book that brings back vivid childhood memories, memories that exist because that book was read and reread to them by someone they love. For my children this is one of those books. We checked this book out from the library probably 50 times before I gave in and purchased it (at great expense since, by then, it was out of print). There is something magical about "tip-toeing" through a giant's castle, trying your best not to wake him. An entertaining picture book for children of all ages!

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is FANTASTIC for storytime with a group of children. It's great to read it with inflection, pretending to be scared of the giant and telling the kids to SHHH! At the end of the reading, I speed up my voice and make it sound increasingly anxious. At the end, when the giant is about to get us, I slam the book shut and throw it on the floor. It sometimes takes a second for the kids to get what just happened, but then they laugh.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book would have to be one of the best children's books that I have read. I work in childcare and it is absolutely the best if you are having a crazy day. The book requires the children to listen carefully and takes them on an adventure through a giants castle. The best way to read this is to, whisper the story so the children stay quiet because they want to know what happens next, right up to the very exciting finish.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een boek dat geschreven werd enkel en alleen om voor te lezen: heel stilletjes voorlezen en de pagina's zo snel mogelijk omdraaien om de reus niet wakker te maken. En telkens controleren door een luikje of hij niet wakker werd op de vorige pagina. Spannender en spannender tot uiteindelijk...

Zeer leuk om te doen met de zoontjes, maar één keer ze het boek kennen is de fun er wat af.

[David Loveland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me and my sister and all my old school friends LOVED this booked. I won't spoil the ending but it always made me jump, especially if the person reading it to us was particularly enthusiastic.

[Nora Elphinstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! Can highly recommend it.

[Oliver Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book this is. Incredibly clever in the way it draws the reader in and genuinely thrilling and scary.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the illustrations. Very simple story exploring a castle and not wanting to be seen by the giant. Not really a very young children's story yet the language is very basic.

[Christine Towgood · Rating 5 out of 5]

THis is one of my favourite books to read to children

[Joss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ultra populaire, surtout avec notre petit de 2 ans qui nous force à le lui lire plusieurs fois par jour. Très efficace.

[Sorbet-Kiwi · Rating 4 out of 5]

De moi-même je n'aurai jamais choisi Chhht ! de Sally Grindley et Peter Utton. Parce que les illustrations ne m'emballaient pas. Mais le travail éditorial autour de cette lecture est top ! En effet, il s'agit de rester calme tout en participant : le personnage de la page précédente dort-il toujours ? Il faut le découvrir tout en silence. A lire en chuchotant avant d'aller au dodo ! C'est une jolie découverte !
Ma chronique complète est dispo ici : https://sorbetkiwi.fr/index.php/chhht...

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

un petit garçon qui vient et qui demande « le livre chut avec le géant », je lui trouve et je lui donne, il a sourit si fort
bref dcp je me suis sentie obligée de le lire vu la joie que cet album lui procurait et il est super !

[Jenna Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun

[Minna Hughes]

I love this book! it's a great way to get children involved with the reading and thoroughly interacting with the book. Can't wait to read this to a class one day

[Jade Bollam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to involve the children with and read together

[Julie Bouchonville · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love love love the art, and the building up of the book is TERRIFYING just the way I like it

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun read-aloud! This never seems to get old.

[Poupi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best livre jeunesse ever. J’ai été obligée de le lire 6fois aujourd’hui.

[Kassendra Hachey · Rating 5 out of 5]

parfait pour les enfants en CPE

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This made me chuckle

[Jo B · Rating 2 out of 5]

My 3&1/5 yr old was a little frightened by the giant so didn't want me to re-read it to him .. I loved it!

[Ida · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't really rate children's book here, but this book is something amazing. I work with pre-schoolers and they absolutely loves this book.

[D.peabody · Rating 3 out of 5]

An adventure creeping through a giants castle. Great lift-the-flap fun.

[Stargazer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had this book for decades, it's a beauty, but best when you have a kid wrapped in tight to you as it is a bit scary. I tried it once at the school, but it did scare a couple of children.