Grandad's Secret Giant

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David Almond introduces his new picture book, A Way to the Stars, a story about perseverance and finding a way to make dreams come true.

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.Find the similes that Grandad uses to describe the giant. Can you think of any more? Make a simile notebook to collect examples that you find in other books. But, what you really want to know is what makes The Boy and the Giant so special, and why was it on our kindness and inclusivity bookshelf? My girls love that Litchfield tells the story of a boy who doesn't believe there is a gentle giant living close by, one who does extraordinary acts of kindness for the townspeople. And, they love that the boy discovers the giant actually does exist! But, mostly, they are able to identify with what the giant wants most in the world: to connect, to fit in, and to feel loved.

We know from our volunteers that being a reading helper brings purpose and enjoyment into their lives. Find out more about the benefits of being part of our reading community here. Thank you to @kidlitexchange for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own. The Boy and the Giant was published in November, 2018. Coram Beanstalk's annual BookFest returned to London in October 2023 with very special guests, Liz Pichon and Maria Motunrayo Adebisi. Read more... Write a sequel to this book about an adventure that Billy, Grandad and the giant might have together. 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.The charming illustration and captivating story of a little creature lost on Earth wins high praise from teachers for its uplifting message that small acts of kindness can have lasting effects. A great book to accompany a KS1 Education for Social Responsibility lesson plan about kindness, like our Being Kind to You and Me mini scheme. 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 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?

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...

With a little more patience, the protagonist of this story will discover something more about what his grandfather always tells him, but that he has never seen in person. And, by the way, you will realize something very important. Nice illustrations!

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. 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. 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!

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Con un poco más de paciencia, el protagonista de este cuento descubrirá algo más sobre lo que siempre le cuenta el abuelo, pero que nunca ha visto en persona. Y, de paso, se dará cuenta de algo muy importante. Bonitas ilustraciones! Look at the illustrations in which the giant is hiding. Could you create your own pictures that include hidden objects (or people) that others have to find? From acclaimed author, Hiawyn Oram, comes the tale of a boy called Arthur, who, like most boys and girls, becomes angry when his mother doesn’t let him stay up late. He creates angry thunderstorms and hurricanes before the storm calms and he drifts off to sleep. A fun way to explore familiar emotions before bedtime with a young class. The prolific writer, Jeanne Willis, penned her first story aged 5. She has now written more than 80 titles and has won numerous awards. She teamed up with illustrator Gwen Millward to create The Bog Baby: a tale about a curious creature found by two sisters in a magic pond. The book is an exercise in reminiscing about a childhood event and how to write an engaging narrative for primary-level readers.