Our 16 Favorite Picture Books about Giants
My son is slightly obsessed about giants. It all started with Jack and the Beanstalk from his Story Bunny (also known as Leap Frog’s On-the-Go Story Pal). After that he became fascinated with giants. He wanted to know if there were giants in real life and if they were nice or mean. So, we did what we always do when my son gets fascinated about something: we go to the library! Here are some of our favorite books about giants. I hope your family enjoys some of these books as well!
Note: All of these opinions are my own. Currently, I am NOT participating in affiliate marketing of any kind. I am just linking to Amazon for your benefit as the fair use law around book covers is fuzzy, so to be safe I don’t publisher pictures of book covers without the author’s/publisher’s permission.
Favorite Giant Books
1. Jack and the Beanstalk
This is where my son’s fascination with giant began. He loves All things Jack and the Beanstalk. There are so many books that could be listed here that I will eventually make it its own post. 😊
2. David and Goliath
We regularly check out many books about David and Goliath from the library. But I strongly advise to read these ones first before giving them to your child. Unless you want your child to go around pretending to cut off people’s heads. 😉 I accidently gave my son one where they chop off goliath’s head. Oops! Who knew a kid’s book would be so gory albeit accurate?
3. The Giant of Seville by Dan Andreasen
Martin Van Buren Bates was a real giant in the 1800s! After fighting in the Civil War and joining the circus, he wanted to settle down with his wife who was a giantess. Both were almost 8 feet tall! The Giant of Seville by Dan Andreasen is a “tall tale” based on Martin trying to find a home after leaving the circus. Eventually he finds his way to Seville, Ohio. It’s really a fantastic book for your giant-loving kids as they can talk about what a real-life, nice giant is like.
4. Snack Attack by Terry Border
Snack Attack by Terry Border is a book about snacks who come to life and play in someone’s house. This book is laugh-out-loud funny and different! His take on the giant is quite unique. I definitely recommend this book.
5. Oliver and the Night Giants by Kitty O’Meara
What really stands out about Oliver and the Night Giants by Kitty O’Meara is its poetic language. It’s truly a joy to read! At school Oliver is made fun of because of his creativity, so the night giants come to visit him. Oliver joins the night giants in their journey around the world. At night time they check on the world and set everything right. Oliver gets to use his creativity to help them. The moral of the story is that the “The world is always magical to those who follow their dreams.”
6. Sir Lance-a-Little and the Ginormous Giant by Rose Impey
If you are looking for an early reader about giants, knights, or dragons Sir Lance-a-Little and the Ginormous Giant by Rose Impey is for you! Sir Lance-a-Little is dueling his archenemy, Huffalot the dragon, when a ginormous giant shows up. The dragon and Sir Lance-a-Little have to join forces to stop the giant from wreaking havoc.
7. Trevor the Very Best Giant by Arie Kaplan
Trevor the Very Best Giant by Arie Kaplan is an early-reader graphic novel. Lucas doesn’t fit in and is bullied at school. One day he meets Trevor, the very best giant. Trevor defends him, and they become good friends. Together they make a stronger team and do things that neither can do alone.
8. Giant Dance Party by Betsy Bird
Giant Dance Party by Betsy Bird features goofy blue giants. The protagonist, Lexy, is a little girl who loves to dance but is afraid to go on stage. Her solution is to offer dance lessons. But unexpectedly, the only creatures who respond to her ad are giants. Lexy learns to overcome her fears by helping the giants learn to dance.
9. Paul Bunyan
This is another classic introduced to us by Story Bunny (also known as Bun-bun). I’m sure your familiar with the American tall tale of Paul Bunyan and his companion Babe the Blue Ox. Paul Bunyan is a lumberjack that grows so big that he tames the American West. There are various books about his hijinks.
10. Giant Baby by Liz Rosenberg
After his parents put him to sleep at night, Ezra becomes a giant baby and escapes into the city causing havoc. Eventually he misses his parents and begins to cry. Does he make it back to his crib before his parents notice that he’s missing? Read Giant Baby by Liz Rosenberg to find out.
11. The Boy and the Giant by David Litchfield
This is a great book for kids who are afraid of giants. In the town of Gableview, it was rumored there was a giant living there who always helped out. Was he real or imaginary? If he was real, why didn’t anyone ever see him? The Boy and the Giant by David Litchfield is helpful when talking to your kids about befriending people who are different from them.
12. Giant Island by Jane Yolen
Giant Island by Jane Yolen is a different kind of giant book. In this book the giant is an island that loves to play with kids. The art in this book really adds to the story as it helps you imagine what it would look like if an island were a person (or giant).
13. The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde
The Selfish Giant is a classic with a Christian message. When a giant kicks all the children out of his garden, winter stays forever. It takes the love of a little boy to bring it back. This book has a beautiful message, but it’s better for older children who can understand symbolism.
14. Giant Pants by Ye Olde Mark Fearing
Does your kid lose his stuff and then refuse to look in the obvious places? If so, Giant Pants by Ye Olde Mark Fearing is for your family. Belbum the Giant lost his pants. He proceeds to search all over the countryside to find them. Eventually he gives up and has the tailor make him some new pairs. But then he finds them in the most unexpected place.
15. The Giant of Jum by Elli Woollard
It was rumored among giants that children named Jack were the tastiest treats. So, the Giant of Jum is on a quest to find and eat a kid named Jack for a snack. On his journey, he meets and befriends many kids. Then when one of his new friends turns out to be named Jack, the giant has a dilemma. Should he eat Jack? Read The Giant of Jum by Elli Woollard to find out what he decides.
16. The Spiffiest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson
From the author of The Gruffalo, we get The Spiffiest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson. The scruffiest giant in town decided to clean up his act, so he orders some nice, new clothes and becomes the spiffiest. However, when his friends need help, he gives them his various items of clothing until he has none left. It is then he realizes that people value you more for what’s on the inside of you than for how “spiffy” you look.
Conclusion
If you liked reading about giants, check out my post about The Top 15 Truck Books for Toddlers. Subscribe for more of these types of posts sent directly to your inbox!
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