Grandad's Secret Giant

Product Information

This month our #BeanstalkBrilliant Book of the Month is a 60 year old classic - 'Where the Wild Things Are' by Maurice Sendak. We're exploring how classic books can have appeal across the generations and deepen a child's connection with the story... Rather than recount a synopsis of the story (it's always a treat to read a quality book for the first time as a process of discovery without spoilers), I'm going to say a few brief words about my experience of reading it and how it could be applied to a Year 1 class, including cross-curricular opportunities to engender greater depth of engagement. The people living in the town couldn’t finish the mural, so the giant completed it for them. Could you start a picture or painting and ask a friend to complete it? 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.

One day, a bear stumbles across a strange object: a piano. Over time, he learns how to play the instrument and the beautiful tunes can be heard across the forest. Eventually, the bear heads to New York to become a star. Plenty of teaching ideas have been inspired by this book, including creating colourful posters to promote the bear in New York, retelling the story from the bear’s point of view and writing instructions on how to play the piano. 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. 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! 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. Find out more about how we will do the best we can to make your volunteer experience with us enjoyable and rewarding.

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The plot is a thinly veiled spin on those less welcome in mainstream culture. Read: Unseen workers (dare I say: “illegal” immigrants?) that perform the gritty work that keeps society functioning. The Giant even wears patchworked overalls - perhaps symbolizing work ethic or diversity in society?

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. 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...The Nottinghill Carnival takes central stage in this story about families, memories and the power of dance and festivals. Author Yaba Badoe tells...