The Spiffiest Giant in Town

Rating:
Summary: A whole new kind of BFG
Review: Author Julia Donaldson acquired a faithful following of British readers when years ago she first penned her masterpiece, "The Gruffalo". Unfortunately, America has yet to recognize this work formally and despite her numerous awards, Ms. Donaldson has not yet reached household name status in the States quite yet. I decided to introduce myself to her work by reading a book that, to my mind, embodies silliness and morality twofold. "The Spiffiest Giant in Town" is, to be brief, about a spiffy giant. And it's top notch.

Our hero in this tale is George the giant. George lives in a small village that is an odd combination of fairy tale old and twenty-first century new. In this particular village, giants are just ordinary citizens like anybody else. It hasn't escaped George's notice that when it comes to clothing, he's sorely in need. Every day George wears the same old brown sandals and the same old-patched up gown (which looks like nothing so much as a linen dress). Says George, "I wish I wasn't the scruffiest giant in town". One day, George sees that a store is selling giant sized clothing. Delighted he purchases "a spiffy shirt, a spiffy pair of pants, a spiffy belt, a spiffy striped tie", and spiffy socks and shoes. He leaves looking like an Assistant Bank Manager and soon he comes across a giraffe who's missing a scarf. George gives his tie to the giraffe to keep him warm then moseys out of town. Next he sees a goat who's lost his sail. George's shirt solves that problem forthwith. You can see where this is going. By the time everything is said and done George is severely depleted in terms of outerwear and his old clothes start looking a little less scruffy after all. Better still, the animals he helped get together to show their appreciation, and George is undeniably lauded.

First of all, I was delighted to discover that the opposite of "scruffy" is "spiffy". I mean, it makes perfect sense when you say it that way, but it isn't one of those things they teach you in school. George is such a likable hero that you're rooting for him every step (and hop) of the way. I was especially pleased to find that the little song he sings himself after every animal rescue, rhymes. I can't tell you how many books for kids I look through where even the simplest of rhymes either don't work or are avoided altogether. This story is about the rewards that come with simply making other people happy. It's a good strong message and one that I suspect too often gets lost in the shuffle of life sometimes.

Honestly though? I can't claim that this book would have been even half the success that it is had it not been for artist Axel Scheffler. Mr. Scheffler (also living in England at the moment) has a fine cartoony style that fits the action of this tale perfectly. It's his details that make the book so great. Like the fact that other giants live in the town (top and straw hats abound). Or the fact that as George walks home in his clothes, his meticulously combed hair gets wilder and wilder and wilder. There are lots of these tiny details in the story, and together they make it a fabulous read. Could I have liked George half so much with a different artist? Maybe. But I wouldn't count on it.

In the end, the moral of this tale is that spiffiness comes in all kinds of sizes. That sounds corny, but we're dealing with a picture book here, people. Let the corniness abound. It's just so pleasant to read a story like this that doesn't condescend to its child audience and is a fun romp for parents as well. If you're the kind of person who upon seeing the word, "Spiffiest", in the title of a book, immediately wants to read it, this book is for you. If that isn't your reaction, good news. This book is still for you. Please feel free to take an inordinate amount of pleasure in it. It'll do you a spot of good.

Rating:
Summary: A whole new kind of BFG
Review: Author Julia Donaldson acquired a faithful following of British readers when years ago she first penned her masterpiece, ?The Gruffalo?. Unfortunately, America has yet to recognize this work formally and despite her numerous awards, Ms. Donaldson has not yet reached household name status in the States quite yet. I decided to introduce myself to her work by reading a book that, to my mind, embodies silliness and morality twofold. ?The Spiffiest Giant in Town? is, to be brief, about a spiffy giant. And it?s top notch.

Our hero in this tale is George the giant. George lives in a small village that is an odd combination of fairy tale old and twenty-first century new. In this particular village, giants are just ordinary citizens like anybody else. It hasn?t escaped George?s notice that when it comes to clothing, he?s sorely in need. Every day George wears the same old brown sandals and the same old-patched up gown (which looks like nothing so much as a linen dress). Says George, ?I wish I wasn?t the scruffiest giant in town?. One day, George sees that a store is selling giant sized clothing. Delighted he purchases ?a spiffy shirt, a spiffy pair of pants, a spiffy belt, a spiffy striped tie?, and spiffy socks and shoes. He leaves looking like an Assistant Bank Manager and soon he comes across a giraffe who?s missing a scarf. George gives his tie to the giraffe to keep him warm then moseys out of town. Next he sees a goat who?s lost his sail. George?s shirt solves that problem forthwith. You can see where this is going. By the time everything is said and done George is severely depleted in terms of outerwear and his old clothes start looking a little less scruffy after all. Better still, the animals he helped get together to show their appreciation, and George is undeniably lauded.

First of all, I was delighted to discover that the opposite of ?scruffy? is ?spiffy?. I mean, it makes perfect sense when you say it that way, but it isn?t one of those things they teach you in school. George is such a likable hero that you?re rooting for him every step (and hop) of the way. I was especially pleased to find that the little song he sings himself after every animal rescue, rhymes. I can?t tell you how many books for kids I look through where even the simplest of rhymes either don?t work or are avoided altogether. This story is about the rewards that come with simply making other people happy. It?s a good strong message and one that I suspect too often gets lost in the shuffle of life sometimes.

Honestly though? I can?t claim that this book would have been even half the success that it is had it not been for artist Axel Scheffler. Mr. Scheffler (also living in England at the moment) has a fine cartoony style that fits the action of this tale perfectly. It's his details that make the book so great. Like the fact that other giants live in the town (top and straw hats abound). Or the fact that as George walks home in his clothes, his meticulously combed hair gets wilder and wilder and wilder. There are lots of these tiny details in the story, and together they make it a fabulous read. Could I have liked George half so much with a different artist? Maybe. But I wouldn?t count on it.

In the end, the moral of this tale is that spiffiness comes in all kinds of sizes. That sounds corny, but we?re dealing with a picture book here, people. Let the corniness abound. It?s just so pleasant to read a story like this that doesn?t condescend to its child audience and is a fun romp for parents as well. If you?re the kind of person who upon seeing the word, ?Spiffiest?, in the title of a book, immediately wants to read it, this book is for you. If that isn?t your reaction, good news. This book is still for you. Please feel free to take an inordinate amount of pleasure in it. It'll do you a spot of good.

Rating:
Summary: Kind-Hearted Giant Goes from Spiffy to Skivvy
Review: Scottish writer Julia Donaldson's charming enchanted tale in an enchanted, magical land where George the giant lives over a small world of people, elves and animals where they all coexist peacefully. One day, George tired of his scruffy look decides on a giant makeover. So he goes to the clothes shop (Haberdashery) run by the small people. Soon he's traded his monk robe and worn-out sandals for the spiffiest shirt, pants, shiny black shoes and the works. But, you know what his new look don't last long. He runs into the small town's creatures who need help. Like the giraffe whose afraid his neck will caught cold, the goat who need a sail for his boat and the family of mice whose house burnt down. He gives the giraffe his tie, the goat his shirt and one of his shoes to the mice for a house. Before you know it George is left standing outside the shop in his skivvies! When the shop is closed, the only thing George can do is put back on his dirty old clothes again. In the end, George is thanked by all those he had helped. The lesson to be learned that it's more important to be kind and generous toward others than to be cool and spiffy :). This is a delightful tale for people of all ages to keep in mind the moral to the story. Don't we need more like George the gentle giant in the world?

Rating:
Summary: How you look or how you act?
Review: This is a great story of George the Giant who is tired of being the messiest giant in town. He decides to spruce himself up with some great new clothes. But on his way home, he meets all kinds of animals who need help. Through his acts of kindness, George becomes less and less spiffy. This a story that introduces the concept of putting others' needs before your own in a cute humorous way. The illustrations are as clever as they are expressive. My four and two year old request this story almost daily.

Rating:
Summary: How you look or how you act?
Review: This is a great story of George the Giant who is tired of being the messiest giant in town. He decides to spruce himself up with some great new clothes. But on his way home, he meets all kinds of animals who need help. Through his acts of kindness, George becomes less and less spiffy. This a story that introduces the concept of putting others' needs before your own in a cute humorous way. The illustrations are as clever as they are expressive. My four and two year old request this story almost daily.