Big George

Big George is a wonderful tale of friendship and understanding set amidst a fantastical medieval background full of plots and high excitement. Middle readers will love the adventure, the humor, and the final blowout triumph of George! This is the story of the first visitor to England from Outer Space. The year is 1103. England is a land of darkness and wilderness, and her people believe in fairies, dragons, and the possibility of magic. Into this land with a loud, thundering crash falls a Stranger. He lands in the middle of a forest during the night. The Stranger is a lot like the people of Earth, only taller -- much, much taller, with blue and green hair, and a face so pale it glows like a distant star. As can be expected when one lands with such a bang, there are a few bumps and bruises, and the memory of where he came from and why he was sent are bumped right out of his head. As the Stranger wanders out of the forest, he is first spotted by a frightened poacher, Simpkin Sampkins, who runs to spread the word. Luckily, he next encounters Tilly, the Miller's daughter. She is kind and pretty, and happy to make a new friend. Tilly exclaims, "By George," when she first spies this huge being, and the name sticks. Even though Tilly and George speak different languages, they understand each other very well and become fast friends. And so the adventure begins. Tilly and George must defend themselves and each other from many foes. First there is the greedy Miller, with his selfish plot to sell Tilly to be wed to the gruesome Bones Lousewort, son of the local Baron. Then there are the simple villagers, scared of something so strange (and so big), who attack George because of their fears. There is evil Baron Lousewort and his two nasty cronies, Silas Sludge and Bartholomew Bog, who have a devious plan to kill George. And though they don't know it, Tilly and George are up against time itself, as George's internal clock gets set to send him to sleep for nine hundred years. Join the fun as these two friends face great trials -- and win!

Eric Pringle has written many plays for radio and television and has also done many dramatisations. These include Doctor Who for television and dramatisations of Thomas Hardy, Joan Aiken and HE Bates for Radio 4. This is his first children's book for Bloomsbury. Eric lives in Ledbury, Herefordshire. The illustrator: Colin Paine has illustrated The Conjuror's Cookbook series for Bloomsbury. Colin lives in Worthing, West Sussex.