Grandad's Secret Giant

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This is an incredibly rich text, that would work beautifully as an in-depth shared class read for a sustained period of time (i.e. over several weeks, or as a focus text for a half-term). I think it would lend itself best to a Year 1 class (KS1), though could also be shared and enjoyed in a lighter-touch way in the final Summer term for a Reception Class. 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. This picturebook is an absolute joy from start to finish. The story is simple and accessible with some lovely figurative language (He has hands the size of tables, legs as long as drainpipes and feet as big as rowing boats…). The contrast between the atmospheres created in the opening and closing endpapers would provide a great basis for a discussion. David Litchfield’s use of colour throughout the vibrant illustrations is excellent, as is the way that he uses body language to show the different emotions of the main characters. There is so much to see in the pictures that it is a book that requires repeated reading.

Write a sequel to this book about an adventure that Billy, Grandad and the giant might have together.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. 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.

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. Little Billy doesn't believe his grandfather's stories about the humongous giant that helps out around his small town of Gableview. If there really were such a huge man running around, everyone would see him, he reasons. His grandfather replies that the giant might be staying hidden, because people tend to fear and distrust that which is unusual, or looks different to them. When Billy finally does encounter the giant, his initially frightened reaction seems to bear out his grandfather's words. Conscious that he has hurt the gentle giant, Billy sets out to find a way to make restitution... Make a stop-motion animation that retells this story or tells a similar story about somebody who is ‘different’. 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.

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? 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. 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. There is a secret giant living in the town of Gableview. Billy’s Grandad tells him stories about the giant and all of the ways he has helped the people in town, but Billy just thinks they are just tall tales. One day, Billy actually sees the giant! He is so terrified that he runs away. He knows that he has hurt the giant’s feelings and feels very bad, especially after remembering that his grandad had taught him that people can be scared of things that are different. Billy and Grandad come up with a plan to make things better and make the giant feel welcome in Gableview. 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...

In this story of hope and endurance, we follow a scientist and her team during their search for the elusive 'Giant Arctic Jellyfish'.

The same author which brought us ‘The Bear and the Piano’ describes a grandson who doesn’t believe his grandad when he tells him that there’s a giant living in town. He remains stubborn until he sees the giant for himself, which leads him to question whether the giant is misunderstood. A classic tale of ‘never judge a book by its cover’, your young class will love the colourful illustrations, its uplifting ending and rich descriptions. 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!

A GIANT story of belonging and friendship from David Litchfield, author ofThe Bear and the Piano. \"He has hands the size of tables,\" Grandad said, \"legs as long as drainpipes and feet as big as rowing boats. Do you know who I mean?\" \"Yes,\" sighed Billy. \"The Secret Giant. But he's not real!\" Billy doesn't believe his Grandad when he tells him there's a giant living in his town, doing good deeds for everyone. He knows that a giant is too big to keep himself hidden. And why would he want to keep himself a secret? But as time goes on, Billy learns that some secrets are too BIG to stay secret for long...Given the festive feel of the cover this could be mistaken as a holiday book… one of the main characters, a young boy, even leaves his house late at night (...Polar Express?). What a wonderful thing it would be, if a child were to read or receive this book around the December holidays; Imagine a conversation about the increasing necessity of acceptance during the holidays. Can you design some new clothes for the giant? Could you stitch some new patchwork dungarees for him? A kind giant, who attempts to remain unseen, befriends a small child… sound familiar? Nope… not the BFG 😜 It’s the second book by the creator of the heartwarming picture book - #TheBearAndThePiano. This week, Coram Beanstalk's first Liverpool BookFest took place at The Very Group's head office, bringing author sessions with Marie Basting and Mark Powers to Coram Beanstalk partner schools in the North West. You may have some questions in your mind before you fill in your application form. Here are answers to our most commonly asked questions. If your question isn't answered here you can find out how to get in touch with our team.