Walter the Giant Storyteller's Giant Book of Giant Stories - Hardcover

Mayes, Walter M.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0802789757 ISBN 13: 9780802789754

Publisher: Walker Childrens, 2005

Synopsis

Those colossal lies about "evil" giants are all just a gigantic misunderstanding.

You've heard all the stories of mean and bloodthirsty giants: David and Goliath, Jack and the Beanstalk, Gilgamesh. Imagine you found an unconscious giant on the shores of your tiny ravaged village―what would you do?

Walter the Giant Storyteller is that unlucky giant, shipwrecked by a violent storm at sea. He awakens to find himself tied down and on trial for his life. He knows he's a good giant, but that doesn't seem to matter to the mob of tiny people holding him captive and responsible for the crimes of all evil giants in history. He has to use his best storytelling skills to convince the crowd that good giants do exist―because if he doesn't, he'll become a giant of legend himself.

In this tour de force of storytelling and illustration, Mayes and O'Malley turn the giant genre on its ear.

About this title

About the Author:

Walter M. Mayes is also known as Walter the Giant Storyteller because he has dedicated most of his adult life to connecting children and adults with books-and because he really is 6' 71/2" tall. Walter is the coauthor of the adult guide to children's literature, Valerie and Walter's Best Books for Children, but this is his first book for children. Walter lives in San Francisco, California, with his son.

Kevin O'Malley has been amassing high praise and impressive awards for his hilarious, kid-friendly picture books, including numerous starred reviews and two School Library Journal Best Books of the Year. He is also the illustrator and coauthor of the best-selling Miss Malarkey series for Walker & Company. Kevin lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his wife and two sons.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 3-5–Five giant stories are cleverly embedded in Walter the Giant Storyteller's first-person narrative about his adventures that left him shipwrecked on a Lilliputian-like island. Bound and sternly interrogated by Magnus, the ruler of the island who puts him on trial, Walter defends the reputation of giants through stories. He begins by retelling Jack and the Beanstalk from the giant's perspective: The version you've heard is so wrong. That little weasel Jack got away with murder–literally! Paul Bunyan makes an appearance, as do Stormalong and Finn M'Cool. Walter's reinterpreted version of Atlas features a poignant mythological hero who is lost without his job of holding up the heavens: There wasn't much for me out there, you know. The world I knew is long gone. O'Malley's vibrant colors and heavily outlined cartoon drawings resemble woodcuts; selected dialogue is set off dramatically in white speech boxes. The cast of characters observing the trial reacts with humorous expressions, offering readers additional details to discover. Oversize block letters announce the title on the cover of this aptly oversize book. Source notes and a list of favorite books about giants are appended. Creative-writing enthusiasts will appreciate this book as a strong example of voice and point of view. It will tickle the funny bones of many readers.–Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI
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About this edition

• Publisher: Walker Childrens
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0802789757
• ISBN 13: 9780802789754
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 48
• Illustrator: O'Malley Kevin