In Search of the Giant

by Jeanne Willis, Ruth Brown (Illustrator)

Two children search for a giant in a gloomy wood and flee in terror when they come upon one waking up from his long sleep

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Mystery, Animals, Adventure, Fantasy

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Jeanne Willis was born in St Albans and trained as an advertising copywriter at Watford College. She worked for various agencies creating press adverts and TV, cinema and radio commercials. She is now a full-time writer and has published over 80 books. Her hobbies include gardening, reading (non-fiction), natural history and collecting caterpillars. Jeanne has also worked on scripts for TV, including POLLY POCKET and THE SLOW NORRIS, and a pilot TV series for DR XARGLE. She lives in North London with her husband and two children.

Reviews

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A picturebook in verse that reminded me very much of Owl Moon and certainly of similar calibre. Goaded by his older sister to search for a giant in the local woodland, a young boy spiritedly, if not tentatively agrees. Together both siblings enter the woods. At first, the elder sister is confident in exploring but soon both their imaginings become so fruitful that they begin to see their hidden giant everywhere...

With rich and poetic language, very different to the usual Willis, we are guided through the flora and fauna of a warm woodland setting. Ruth Brown effortlessly plays with perspective and positioning to draw the reader closer in and invites us to look for little signs of the giant in the landscape. Both word and image bring this little story to life. A beautiful little book that would well throughout the key stages.

[Issy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast pace book with rhyming paragraphs, that tells the story of a couple of children are on the hunt for a giant. Great illustrations that help children understand the journey of the hunt. It is an easy read due to the rhyming and I think the children would really enjoy it.

[Robert Gowdy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. The book shows a positive relationship between a brother and a sister going out into the forest to play game to look for the giant. The art style is more organic than anything else, brings out the intricacies in nature and of the imaginary world around the children. The book touches on the topics of family, imagination, and creativity. I would recommend this story to grade school levels and above due to its good morals about family and exploring the outside world.

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magical magical magical book.

I first heard of this book in a forum for people trying to find books from their childhood. Sometimes when I read those, I save the most interesting ones, that clearly made a mark. I love to find books that I would've sank into as a child, that would've informed my magical, fairyland worldview that I was so desperate to have be real (while knowing that it wouldn't be, that life was something else).

This book is so magical. I'm so glad I bought it.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Search of Giants. It is a breathing monster 20ft tall. Does it have big teeth, big arms?

The book doesn't tell you...but it is clear....

The Giant is a tree!

Interesting way of talking about a tree! The pictures are a little dark but I read the front cover flat that describes it as hauntingly beautiful and I totally agree!

[Smhodson123 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two children go looking for a sleeping giant in the forest and see to see him. Kind of fun illustrations. Picture puzzles.