Giants and the Joneses [Paperback]

Julia Donaldson (Author)

Book Description

This is a thrilling adventure from the author of "The Gruffalo". Jumbeelia, a girl giant, loves the stories of the iggly plop who climbed up the bimblestonk and was chased back down again by a giant. Growing her own bimblestonk, she climbs down it and finds a whole world of iggly plops - our world, in fact, where Colette, Stephen and Poppy are very surprised to find themselves collected up into a bag and carried off back up the beanstalk. So begins a wild and wonderful tale of how three children escape from an over-enthusiastic giant girl, her very-pregnant giant mum, and her very nasty adolescent giant brother. This is a big adventure for some tiny people!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5–Most giants in Groil disregard the fairy tale about the tiny thief who once climbed a plant up to their land, but young Jumbeelia is sure that the pocket-sized iggly plops must exist. She drops a mysterious seed over the cloud edge, and, sure enough, a bimplestonk grows in the night. She climbs down to the miniature world where she collects some souvenirs, including three children–Collette; her brother, Stephen; and their baby sister, Poppy. The humans attempt to communicate with their huge captor, but, like all giants, Jumbeelia speaks only Groilish, and, in any case, she is too large to hear them. She installs the children in her dollhouse and plays nicely with her new toys, but her brother is jealous and wants the iggly plops for his own. When he gets hold of them, he plays cruel, dangerous games with them, even forcing Stephen into deadly combat with a colossal wasp. The children resolve to escape, but the giant world is filled with dangerous objects and enormous creatures, including a very hungry cat and a mad old giant with a grudge against humans. The use of Groilish adds the appeal of a secret code to the story. All dialogue among the giants is written strictly in their own language. In-text translation is rare, although almost everything is clear in context. Dictionaries are provided so that young readers can become proficient in the lingo. An exciting story with a subtle message about respect and cooperation.–Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

“An exciting story with a subtle message about respect and cooperation.”—School Library Journal

“Whether read aloud or alone, this British import has an effervescent sincerity that makes it both enjoyable and memorable.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

 

“The Giants and the Joneses had humour, suspense and an invented language that enthralled me.”—The Evening Standard (London)

“Children will love this miniaturised adventure . . . it’s set to be a giant hit.”—The Herald (England)

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Egmont Books (July 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1405247606
• ISBN-13: 978-1405247603
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Julia Donaldson is the author of many successful books for children, including the classic THE GRUFFALO, which has won the Smarties Prize and the Blue Peter Award for the Best Book to Read Aloud. THE GRUFFALO'S CHILD was one of the biggest best-sellers of 2004 and won WHS Children's Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. Julia has also written many children's plays and songs, and runs regular storytelling and drama workshops. She lives in Glasgow with her family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally engaging, November 16, 2005

By 

B. Bly - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Giants and the Joneses (Hardcover)

My girls - 5 and 8 - love this book. I read it to them three months ago and we still talk about "igglyplops" and "bealy" things. The story is compelling -- three kids in a world of giants. The giants have their own language, but kids can identify with the giant childrens' normal everyday lives. There's an imagined world, suspense, and siblings who grow to love one another -- who could ask for anything else?

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Visit the Land of the Giants, November 7, 2005

By 

L. L. Petersen (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Giants and the Joneses (Hardcover)

The Giants and the Joneses begins where Jack and the Beanstalk leaves off. In our time, the Giants of the land of Groil still tell the story of "Jack and the Beanstalk." But no one really believes in the "Iggly Plops" or the Little People. No one except an eight-year old giant named Jumbeelia. Jumbeelia drops a bean over the edge of Groil and the next day she climbs down a giant beanstalk where she collects a few new toys - including the three Jones children.

This is a fun story with the added challenge of a make-believe giant language to decode. (A dictionary is included.) The story does get a little scary when Jumbeelia's brother captures the Jones children and mistreats them, but this shouldn't be enough to put most children off. In addition, this story may lead readers to contemplate sibling relationships, treatment of smaller, helpless creatures, and whether there may be truth in legends.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haley's Review- Age 10, June 1, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Giants and the Joneses (Hardcover)

The book Giants and the Joneses was great. I liked how the book was based on Jack and the Beanstalk. I liked how the book had its own dictionary too. I recommend this book to a lot of people. I hope she writes a sequel. I can't wait to read her other books.