Christopher: The Holy Giant [Hardcover]

Tomie DePaola (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

A celebrated illustrator presents his interpretation of the legend of St. Christopher, who originally had been a giant named Reprobus out to serve the world's most powerful king, a ruler he finds when he carries the young Christ across a river.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Doubts about the historical existence of Christopher, long the patron saint of travelers, prompted the Catholic Church to remove his name from the calendar of saints in 1969; fortunately dePaola, as he states in an afterword, wanted Christopher's story "to be available again to all children." This vigorous retelling is accompanied by some of the artist's most distinctive work to date. Reprobus, a giant, wants to serve the most powerful king in the world. His quest takes him first to court, then to the devil and, finally, in search of Christ. Following the advice of a hermit, Reprobus sets up camp by a river and ferries travelers to the other side. One stormy night a child asks to be carried across; as the giant complies, the child grows so heavy that Reprobus feels he is carrying "the whole world on my shoulders." The child, of course, is Jesus, who gives him the new name of Christopher--Bearer-of-Christ. DePaola's prose is simple and eloquent, and his expressive folk art style, here rendered in the intense but muted shades of the desert, is perfectly attuned to the legend's reverent tone. The images here linger long after the book has been closed. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 4-A retelling of the legend of St. Christopher. Because of his stature, Reprobus the giant wishes to serve the most powerful ruler in the world. During his travels, he meets a mighty king, the devil, and a hermit before understanding that it is Christ he must serve. To do so, the giant uses his impressive strength to carry travelers across a fast-flowing river. One stormy night, he risks his life to help a small child across. With each step, the river rises higher, the wind blows harder, and his passenger grows heavier. Finally safe on the other side, the child reveals that he is Jesus, and renames Reprobus Christopher, or "Bearer-of-Christ." dePaola uses his impressive storytelling skills to convey the action, describing miraculous events with simplicity and dignity. The illustrations, with their clean lines and carefully balanced presentation, are vintage dePaola. The giant's size, accentuated by his massive head and large hands, is gentled by his sorrowful eyes. The devil is depicted as a winged beast. The dramatic image of Reprobus, painfully doubled over as he struggles under his burden, suggests the power and mystery of medieval religious paintings. An author's note explains why Christopher was removed from the Catholic Church's Calendar of Saints. Religious debates aside, this story, with its fluently integrated text and illustrations, stands solidly on its own.
Joy Fleishhacker, New York Public Library
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (March 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823408620
• ISBN-13: 978-0823408627
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,007,286 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"Tomie dePaola was born in Meriden, Connecticut, in 1934 to a family of Irish and Italian background. By the time he could hold a pencil, he knew what his life's work would be. His determination to create books for children led to a BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and an MFA from the California College of Arts & Crafts in Oakland, California.
It drove him through the years of teaching, designing greeting cards and stage sets, and painting church murals until 1965, when he illustrated his first children's book, Sound, by Lisa Miller for Coward-McCann. Eventually, freed of other obligations, he plunged full time into both writing and illustrating children's books.
He names Fra Angelico and Giotto, Georges Rouault, and Ben Shahn as major influences on his work, but he soon found his own unique style. His particular way with color, line, detail, and design have earned him many of the most prestigious awards in his field, among them a Caldecott Honor Award for Strega Nona, the Smithsonian Medal from the Smithsonian Institution, the Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota for his ""singular attainment in children's literature,"" the Catholic Library Association's Regina Medal for his ""continued distinguished contribution,"" and the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion. He was also the 1990 United States nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for illustration.
Tomie dePaola has published almost 200 children's books in fifteen different countries. He remains one of the most popular creators of books for children, receiving more than 100,000 fan letters each year.
Tomie lives in an interesting house in New Hampshire with his four dogs. His studio is in a large renovated 200-year-old barn.
- He has been published for over 30 years.
- Over 5 million copies of his books have sold worldwide.
- His books have been published in over 15 different countries.
- He receives nearly 100,000 fan letters each year.
Tomie dePaola has received virtually every significant recognition for his books in the children's book world, including:
- Caldecott Honor Award from American Library Association
- Newbery Honor Award from American Library Association
- Smithson Medal from Smithsonian Institution
- USA nominee in illustration for Hans Christian Andersen Medal
- Regina Medal from Catholic Library Association

"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully drawn, good parable, December 21, 1999

By 

Will B Bell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Christopher: The Holy Giant (Paperback)

I learned about Tomie de Paola from watching Barney, of all things, and this was the first book of his we bought.

The drawings are bright and well done, and match the text perfectly.

This is a good book for introducing religious concepts (devil, Christ Child) to little kids without overtly proselytizing. Also, if your child happens to be named Christopher (as mine is), it is fun for the child to learn what his name means.

I would recommend this book and plan to buy more by this author.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christopher/Bearer of Christ, November 5, 2009

By 

annie "grannieannie" (Mid-MI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Christopher: The Holy Giant (Hardcover)

This book tells a story that happened a long time ago about a giant, named Reprobus, who wished to serve the greatest king. He set off on a journey to find this king. First, he came to a great city and thinking that the king of this city was the greatest, he served him. Every time this king heard the devil's name, he made the sign of the cross because he feared him. Reprobus then decided to serve the devil. After finding the devil, he traveled with him and they came upon a cross, and the devil shook with fear. Learning that the devil was afraid of Christ, who is even more powerful, Reprobus decided to serve Christ.

Wandering through the desert Reprobus met an old hermit, who taught him about Christ. The hermit told Reprobus to go to a mighty river on the other side of the desert and help all who wished to cross and so he did. He carried many people across the river, and one stormy night a small child appeared and asked to be carried across the river. As they crossed the river, the waters became higher and the child became heavier. Reaching the other side of the river, Reprobus sat the child down and told him he felt as if he had been carrying the whole world on his shoulders. The child then revealed that he was Jesus and told Reprobus that from that day on he would be know as Christopher, Bearer-of-Christ.

This is a great book about St. Christopher for young children.