Customer Reviews

The Giant's Toe

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I first saw this book in the public library. Everytime we went to the library, my oldest son, then 4, would head straight for The Giant's Toe every time. I found a copy in the bookstore and my kids still read it 2-3 times a week! It's not uncommon to hear "What are you doing, Toe?" in my house. This book is just a lot of fun.

"The Giant's Toe" is exceptionally well written and wonderfully illustrated, regardless what moral you wish to extract from it. My kids continue to laugh each time it's read to them, and as a testament to the author's craftmanship I enjoy it as much as they do.

I discovered The Giant's Toe at a workshop for middle school teachers many years ago. It became an instant favorite with my 8th graders as a read-aloud during our Silent Reading time. The story has an interesting twist on the Jack and the Beanstalk theme; with *the toe* being in charge of all. Read aloud with voices of the toe and the Giant - and JACK - this book quickly became a once a week favorite. Jerry Pinkney is one of my favorite illustrators of childrens' books, and his lovely water colors add so much to this story. I just bought another copy for my friend's two year old daughter- to allow her to enjoy the story - and begin to learn the voice of *the toe* - Great fun for everyone!!!! You will want to read it to yourself to practice your voice-over skills.

The Giant's Toe is a tale with a moral, no matter how big you are, you can still be helped by someone that is much smaller. This story is about a giant who accidentally chops off his toe while hoeing in his cabbage garden. The toe ends up turning into a small boy when it's cut off, and the toe starts wreaking havoc. The giant is often annoyed with the toe, but the toe ends up helping him out in the end. I think that this is a very good book for people of all ages and can bring a smile to your face.

Why did my eyes fill with tears the first time I read this book? Every one of us has parts of ourselves we are cut off from, parts we sometime even try to be rid of. This wonderful story, so charmingly illustrated, simply reminds us to embrace ourselves, even those troublesome parts that can sometimes redeem us.