The Giant King

The Giant King is a colorful picturebook by Kathleen T. Pelley about the hidden potential within people's hearts. When a giant besieges a town, an inspired woodcarver reasons that if the giant is treated like a king, he may come to act like one... and with gifts, he sparks a transformation. The giant becomes a king in spirit, to the extent that he would protect his people with his life - as a true king must always do. Charmingly illustrated by Maurie J. Manning, The Giant King is a heartwarming and thoughtful story.

An enchanting children's story, "The Giant King" teaches two very important life lessons. The first is that you have to look beyond the outward appearances of a person to see their true value as a person. The second lesson is that people often act the way we expect them to act. If we change the way we treat them they generally change the way they treat us. The story itself is set in Scotland where the young boy Rabbie has a special skill carving wood. As he travels he finds a village with a problem giant that terrorizes the village and steals their food. Rabbie teaches the villagers to see beyond the outward appearances of the giant and find the good giant inside. The book opens up a wealth of opportunities to discuss how our actions affect others, looking beyond the obvious, and cultural differences. The illustrations are colorful and hold a child's attention well. "The Giant King" is a highly recommended read for all children.