The True Tale of a Giantess: The Story of Anna Swan

by Anne Renaud, Marie Lafrance (Illustrator)

"When I was small, I was already big news," Anna Swan tells readers in this picture book biography. When she was born in Nova Scotia in 1846, people for miles around chattered about her. They whispered over tea and gossiped across fences. Because even when she was small, Anna was TREMENDOUS. At four years old, she was higher than a rain barrel. At six, she was taller than her mother, and by ten she towered over her father. Anna grew up feeling like she poked and bulged and jutted out from all sorts of spaces, never quite fitting into her small country life. Then, at age seventeen, Anna moved to New York City to be part of P. T. Barnum's Gallery of Wonders --- and her life changed forever. Anna Swan lived an inspiring life as big as she was, filled with fame, wealth, world travel and true love.

Genres: Biography, Picture Books, Nonfiction, History, Childrens, Historical, Biography Memoir

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Anne Renaud is a life-long Quebecker. She received her Bachelor of Translation from Concordia University in Montreal. Anne is the author of several picture books, as well as historical non-fiction books for children, including, A Bloom of Friendship: The Story of the Canadian Tulip Festival, Island of Hope and Sorrow: The Story of Grosse Île, Pier 21: Stories from Near and Far, and Into the Mist: The Story of the Empress of Ireland. Her work has been nominated for several awards, including the Silver Birch Award, the Hackmatack Children’s Choice Award, the Red Cedar Book Award, the Red Maple Award and the Quebec Writers’ Federation Prize for Children's & Young Adult Literature. Anne is also a regular contributor to children’s magazines, such as Highlights, Pockets, Cricket, Odyssey, Faces, Clubhouse and Shine. Anne's readers often ask her why she writes books. She tells them it is because she likes to do creative things and she finds writing to be a very creative exercise. It’s also because she can’t dance well and she can’t sing well, so she tries her best at writing well. She hopes her books educate, entertain and inspire children.

Reviews

[Laura]

This is an interesting picture book about one of the "exhibits" of P.T. Barnum, Anna Swan. She was a real woman, and had a real life, and it is well laid out in this book, including a more detailed version, with photographs in the back.

Well written, simple language, told from the point of view on Anna.

 

    



Good book to show how people who were very different were viewed more than a 100 years ago, and how they were very much like us, even if they looked different.

THanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Ben Truong]

The True Tale of a Giantess: The Story of Anna Swan is a children's picture book written by Anne Renaud and illustrated by Marie Lafrance. It is a small, illustrated biography of a giant woman.

Anna Haining Bates (née Swan), was a Canadian woman famed for her great stature of 7 feet 11 inches (2.41 m).

Renaud's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. The story is written in the first person, a dubious choice for biography, but the point of view infuses the narrative with a sense of intimacy. Backmatter includes an author's note. Detailed mixed-media illustrations are done with a delicate folk-art sensibility, which depicts the narrative rather well.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. From her birth, Anna is a spectacle in her rural community, where her family is credited with accepting and protecting her. The strong foundation Anna receives from them helps her confidently set out into the world with a man she calls Mr. Barnum, who includes her in his Gallery of Wonders with other people with unusual physiques.

All in all, The True Tale of a Giantess: The Story of Anna Swan is a sparse telling of a big life.

[Carla]

The True Tale of a Giantess is the real story of Anna Swan, a woman that was born in the 1800s in Nova Scotia, and grew up to be extraordinarily tall. As people whispered and pointed about her, she decided to make the most of her situation. She was exhibited at county fairs who toured with P.T. Barnum, and eventually became an exhibit at his Gallery of Wonders Museum in New York.

This is not just a child's biography, but an overview of her life for anyone who feels different. Anna always felt that she did not fit in, but eventually found a place she felt comfortable. Anna's story is a story of all people who feel different, who feel that they don't fit in. It is inspiring and encouraging, and it shows us that being different is not necessarily a bad thing. There's a great list of references in the back for kids (or adults) who would like to learn more. The True Tale of a Giantess by Anne Renaud is a beautifully illustrated children's book that teaches us all, young and old, to feel better about the things that make us unique. A great addition to any school, public or classroom library. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Jeimy]

Anna Swan was 7 feet 11.5 inches tall. Born and raised in Nova Scotia, she ended up moving to New York as part of Barnum’s collection of curiosities. This picture book offers details about her remarkable life.

[Etienne]

Crazy real story about a girl who was very very tall (2,40m or almost 8 feet). Real life story written with simplicity. Same thing for the illustrations. All here is simple, without pretention, yeah there isn't much in it, but in the end it's a good book.

[Barbara]

I had not heard this story before, but was excited to read this account of a woman who grew to be almost eight feet tale. Born in 1846 in Nova Scotia, Anna Swan was a large baby who quickly grew taller than her parents and those around her. She eventually came to the attention of P.T. Barnum who hired her to be a part of his museum of curiosities, some of them human. Relying on well-written phrases and illustrations, created with mixed media and Photoshop, this account of Anna's life makes it clear that it was hard for her to fit in, both literally and figuratively, in a world designed for those of a shorter stature. Not only did she endure teasing from others, but she also found it challenging to find a comfortable place to sit or sleep. My favorite line expresses this well: "No matter how small I folded myself, I simply did not fit" (unpaged). The text makes it clear just how painful that must have felt for this growing girl. Once she moved to New York City and began working for Barnum, she made friends with others who had their own unique physical challenges as well. she and Barnum's company traveled abroad where she met the Queen of England and even fell in love and married, making this something of a fairy tale with a happy ending as the couple returned home and built a house designed to be big enough for the both of them and anyone else who cared to join them. I was touched by this story and loved seeing photographs of the actual Anna. Back matter includes sources and an Author's Note that tells more about Anna. Although there is much negative to be written about Barnum, it is interesting to note the employment opportunities he afforded those like Anna. I've never felt comfortable with the idea of freak shows or showcasing someone who is different from others, but it does seem as though some good came of her time with him. How difficult it must have been back in those days to be different from those around you!

[Kirsti]

"I want a life as big as me." Delightful account of a Canadian "giantess" born in the 1840s. P. T. Barnum billed her as The Tallest Girl in the World. She was half an inch shy of eight feet tall and was born to parents of average height. I enjoyed reading about her upbringing, career, marriage, and family. Yes, some people were awful to her, but she got to travel the world and meet Queen Victoria. And she had a second career as a horse breeder. You know horses don't judge.

[Molly]

I am not the specific target audience for this book, but as a collector of sideshow memorabilia, I couldn't resist this title when it sprang up on NetGalley.

The story of Ann Swan, a giantess who was exhibited at county fairs and who toured with good ol' P.T. Barnum, this title is an excellent overview of her life and likely a valuable discussion-starter for any kid who feels out of place due to an unusual physicality.

There's a great list of references in the back for kids (or adults) who would like to learn more.

[Gary Anderson]

When Anna Swan is born in a small town near Nova Scotia in 1846, she weighs thirteen pounds, well above the typical birth weight. Anna’s height and weight continue to grow at an above-average pace until at age seventeen she is almost eight feet tall and weighs over 400 pounds. In the picture-book biography The True Tale of a Giantess, author Anne Renaud gives readers Anna’s first-person account of her life and what it means to be different and to not fit in most places or spaces. Although Anna Swan has her share of troubles, she is also optimistic and practical, so this book feels happier than might be expected. Illustrator Marie Lafrance enhances this tone with soft colors and interesting backgrounds and patterns. Lafrance also presents intriguing perspectives of Anne’s size at various ages in comparison to other people. Anna’s different-ness is both literal and metaphorical, so young readers will empathize with Anna finding joy in her life in ways made possible by her size. The excellent back matter includes photos of Anna and her husband, more details about Anna’s life, and a thorough list of source material for interested readers to pursue.

[La Coccinelle]

Here's a lovely picture-book biography about an extraordinary woman. Anna Swan was affected by gigantism. She worked for P. T. Barnum, travelled the world, and even found true love.

I don't think I'd heard of Anna Swan before reading this book, but her story is quite engaging. Constrained by the societal mores of the time (she was born in the 1840s), she found a way to live an exciting life on her own terms. As soon as she was old enough, she moved to New York City to work with P. T. Barnum. In the course of her travels, she met Queen Victoria, and eventually found love with another very tall person: Martin Van Buren Bates.

I'm not sure if I loved the pictures, but they helped tell the story well enough. I did enjoy the biographical info and photos at the back of the book; they help to flesh out the story a little more.

Overall, this is a strong picture-book biography of a very unique woman. It's easy to read, and the text makes it easy to be engaged by Anna's fascinating life. Fans of picture-book biographies will want to check this one out.

[Jason]

Very accessible history of one of the world's tallest women. Pulls you in right from the start.

[Sunday]

2018 CRA Eureka Silver Winner for Excellence in Nonfiction. There’s so much room for conversation with young readers. The writing makes it an easy (and fun) book to read aloud. With students, I’d ask them to chat in small groups and respond to questions like “Why would Anna Swan’s being this large as a child make people talk?”

Renaud, the author, includes a lot of comparisons to help the young audience make sense of why this was unusual—
• “My arms and wrists were as long and large as those of a full grown man.”
• “By the time I was twelve, I had risen higher than the hollyhocks that crowded our garden. Higher than our cows and horses. Higher than three bales of hay.”
And so on. On a second read aloud of this book, you might ask primary grade students to figure out how tall Anna was at different points based on the comparisons in the book. The illustrations also support these comparisons especially for comparisons with less familiar things like “hollyhocks.”

The author writes in first person from Anna Swan’s perspective. A recurring phrase--“And still I grew”--connects points in the book and makes the case. Illustrations provide support to the younger audience to really get at what the author is saying. But really the author’s note and primary source pictures at the end did it for me. The photographs really just nudged me towards understanding. Well done, Kids Can Press!

[Ioanna]

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Anna was not like most other people. She had been different since the day she was born. An incredibly tall child born in the 1800s, Anna attracted people's attention everywhere she went. Growing up, this extraordinary young woman decided to join a peculiar museum of wonders, filled with people who were extraordinary like her. And that is how Anna's adventures began.

The True Tale of a Giantess is the real story of Anna Swan, a woman that was born in the 1800s and grew up to be extraordinarily tall. But it's not just a biography- Anna's story is the story of all people who feel different, who feel that they don;t fit in. Anna's story is inspiring and encouraging, and it shows us that being different is not necessarily a bad thing.

The True Tale of a Giantess is a beautifully illustrated children's book that teaches us all, young and old, to feel better about the things that make us unique.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book*]

The True Tale of a GIANTESS: The Story of Anna Swan by Anne Renaud, illustrated by Marie Lafrance. PICTURE BOOK/NON-FICTION. Kids Can Press, 2018, $18.
9781771383769

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Anna Swan was a real person who was as tall as her father when she was six years old, and continued to grow until she measured ½ inch shy of 8 feet. She appeared in P. T. Barnum’s Gallery of Wonders in New York City, toured the world, and married a man who was nearly as tall as she. What people remember about her is her kind heart, compassion for others, and dignity in a world where so often she just didn’t fit.

A lovely, factual book that somehow conveys compassion and appreciation for all who are different from ourselves. “Windows rattled, dishes clinked and floors groaned wherever we walked,” tells us something of her self-consciousness. The folk-art illustrations seem true to the period.

M. Kijek, Teacher Librarian
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Becky B]

A picture book biography of Anna Swan, a woman from Nova Scotia who lived in the 1800s, grew to be just shy of 8 ft tall, worked with P.T. Barnum, married a very tall man, and settled in Ohio.

Such a fascinating addition to the wealth of picture book biographies now available. The book is written as if told from Anna's point of view. I like how it shares some of the pros and cons of being unique in height. The book does an excellent job of keeping her very human and not a freak. I now have The Greatest Showman soundtrack going through my head as Anna worked in P.T. Barnum's museum for a while. (There's more details on what that was really like and who worked there with Anna included.) This is an exceptionally well-written picture book biography. Very informative but not an overabundance of text. The illustrations mimic art of the time period adapted to be modern kid friendly. Highly recommended.

[Theediscerning]

Throughout the centuries, people have wanted to sing "This is Me", and Anna Swan would have been one of those. Six foot tall as a twelve year old, the giant lady became an exhibit at something akin to a culture house run by PT Barnum in New York, before finding equally lofty love (actually, her husband was a little shorter) and touring the old and new worlds as The Tallest Married Couple on Earth. This pleasantly illustrated children's biography will like as not give facts about someone adults don't know of, but in a fashion making it ideal for the school shelf. I dare say there was a darker side to her growing up as such a standout – these pages vaguely refer to bullying, and the struggle to find a bed and shoes to fit – but this is a warming little read.

[sweet orange books]

This was a respectful and well narrated biography of Anna Swan, a 19th century Canadian woman who measured 8 feet tall.

Born in 1846, she measured 5ft. 6in. when she was 6 and was later billed the Tallest Woman in The World. She wanted a life as tall as her, and this is exactly what she created for herself. She worked at the Gallery of Wonders in NYC from the age of 15, playing the piano, declaiming poetry and acting on plays. She traveled the world and befriend the Queen Victoria. She married her beloved husband and built a house just for their heights, before retiring in Seville, Ohio.

Thank you NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Read and reviewed: 2018-11-14

[Reshamad]

Non Fiction Picture Book biography of Anna Swan. This beautifully illustrated book is about the life and time of Anna Swan, a girl born unusually large in size. Told from a first person narrative, Anna tells her life story from birth until she settles down in Seville.
This one has a ton of kid appeal in kids being curious about Anna's size and her lifestyle. The art work is very lovely, gentle shades of pastel colors and the prose is simple and straightforward. A winning combination that makes this a wonderful read. Recommend reading this one!

[Amanda Sanders]

This is a biography of Anna Swan who was born in Nova Scotia and weighed 13 pounds at birth. (Her poor mother!) Her extraordinary growth continued through her life and she eventually joined P. T. Barnum. The author does an excellent job of conveying her country life during her childhood by comparing her size to plants and animals. There are additional facts under author's notes. The story is fascinating.

[Francis]

Biographie romancée d'Anna Swan, née en Nouvelle-Écosse et qui avait la particularité d'être une véritable géante dans sa communauté (elle mesurait quelque 2,40 m à ses 17 ans!). Un magnifique album qui nous apprend à surmonter nos peurs, à suivre ses convictions et à trouver sa place, peu importe ce que les autres peuvent penser de nous. L'album est accompagné d'une fiche de deux pages sur la biographie d'Anna Swan.

[Brooklyn || The Wild Library]

I read & evaluated this book for the Vancouver Children's Round Table (VCLR)'s 2019 Information Book Award.

This book was super interesting and had great illustrations. Both the text and artwork were simple, but without pretension. It was neat to hear of this true story, especially since Anna Swan was Canadian. I felt like there was something lacking in this book though... I just can't pin point what it is...

[Beth]

The story of one of the residents of Barnum's New York museum, from her childhood as a neighborhood attraction to her adulthood as an oddity and then as a married farmer. It does a good job of showing both the difficulty of being so big and unusual and the way that everyone is normal to themselves.

I was a bit cranky that the setting wasn't immediately obvious, but I guess that's my fault for not knowing much about Nova Scotia.

[Allie]

An interesting and enjoyable biography of Anna Swan, a very tall woman who was part of P.T. Barnum's "museum" and led an interesting globe-trotting life. The illustrations are very sweet and very reminiscent of Lois Lenski.

[Sarah]

This is a delightful biographical tale told in first person about a giantess who worked at Barnum's house of Wonder in NYC. I like how the book mainly focuses on her life and what it might have been like for her. She seems like a nice person! Fun to see the photographs in the back of the book.

Great for a kindergarten unit about being unique.

[Dinora Sandoval]

This book is about the life of Anna Swan, a giantess who despite being different took risks and achieved her dreams. She became part of the Gallery of Wonders Museum, met other people who were different, and ended up marrying another giantess. I would lean this book more towards independent reading but I may consider a read a loud if students are interested in it.

[Brave]

Beautiful illustrations and a sweet story.

Requested & received for free from Netgalley.

[Edward Sullivan]

Born in Nova Scotia, Anna moves to New York City to be part of P. T. Barnum's Gallery of Wonders as the Tallest Girl in the World attraction.

[Marie-Pier Dodier]

Gigantisme.

[Lynn]

Autobiographical narrative -great for introducing this genre. Readers may just find they have some things in common with her!
Soft illustrations and backmatter includes photos with additional facts.

[Ms. Tongate, TLC Librarian]

An excellent read-aloud for every secondary student who doesn't feel like they fit in. Great to pair with all PT Barnum reads.