Are All the Giants Dead?

This wonderful book was written in 1975 by Mary Norton (1903-92), the author of the incomparable Borrowers stories. It tells the story of James, whose dream takes him to a distant land, where he meets many of the characters of old folktales, such as Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jack-the-Giant-Slayer and Jack-of-the-Beanstalk. But, they are all old now, and past adventures. But, when the daughter of Beauty and the Beast (Boofy and Beau to their friends) needs help, James rises to the occasion. Although he's usually a fan of Science fiction, James must maneuver himself and the girl through this magical wonderland, in search of a magical frog, and answering the question, "Are all the giants dead?"This is a very nice, gently entertaining story. It is gentle enough for quite young readers, and sure to please. I must say that what I liked most about this book is the illustrations created by the great Brian Froud. My children and I loved this book, and we highly recommend it to you.

"Are All the Giants Dead?" is a very fun story peppered with clever in-jokes for those who love fairy tales.Young James, who is more interested in science fiction than fairy tales, is wisked away in his sleep by Mildred, an ethereal storyteller who takes him off to a magical kingdom. This place turns out to be the land of "happily ever after" where all the legendary heroes and heroines of the past live in leisure and contentment long after their stories have ended. James, though, finds one or two stories left unresolved, and so his adventure begins.Mary Norton's prose is crisp and well paced, and her characters are very well drawn. The story, however, may have turned out more memorable had the plot become a bit more involved. The villian of the story, for instance, is glimpsed only briefly at the tale's end.And of course Brian Froud's 8-10 black and white illustrations are fantastic.

This is a neat little dream-narrative but I would describe it as more for adults than children. It's a gentle dream fantasy which plays with the 'rules' of the classic fairy-tale genre. You really have to be a serious fairy-tale fan to get the jokes. Brian Froud's illustrations are a treat, as always.

Are All the Giants Dead takes a somewhat casual attitude to introducing common fairy tale characters in their old age. James, a young boy, is lead on an adventure from normal, everyday life, to the world of the heroes he hears about in his bedtime stories. They've all grown older (though perhaps not wiser); James becomes acquainted with the two giant killing Jacks, who now run a pub together. While his guide to the fantasy world takes care of business elsewhere, James learns the stories of how all the giants are indeed dead... or are they? According to Jack the Giant Killer, he has slain them all, but Jack of the Beanstalk admits his friends secret: there is no proof that the last giant is indeed deceased. James, of course, is excited by the prospect of adventure, and wishes to investigate the situation himself. The book is full of the wishes of the young (and, to risk a cliche, the young at heart), and an adventure anyone who has ever wanted an adventure can enjoy.