One of my favorite authors is Arnold Lobel, who I associate primarily
with his four Frog and Toad books. But he had other noteworthy work too.
I recently checked out Giant John, which dates back to 1964.
There was something familiar about the story and its characters, so I
suspect I've read it before, but that must have been many years ago.
Mostly, this simple story of a well-meaning giant was new to me, while
bearing the distinct stamp of Lobel.
This story is told in a
straightforward manner, like many old folktales. It isn't as funny or as
profound as some of Lobel's other work, but the protagonist is very
likable, and the overall tone of the tale is so cheerful it's hard to
avoid breaking into a smile while reading. As with most of Lobel's work,
the colors in Giant John are basically limited to various hues
of green and brown, giving the book an earthy feel. John wears a green
shirt and reddish vest. His socks and hat are a drab shade of brown; his
leggings and shoes are black. Handily, he also has a giant-sized green
umbrella, which he is perfectly happy to share.
Everything
that John does in this book is motivated by a desire to help others. He
leaves the home he shares with his mother so that he can earn some money
to buy them food. The work he finds involves making life simpler for a
royal family living in a tall castle. He finds lots of ways to help the
king, the queen, the princess and their dog, and it's clear that he's
not just in it for the money. He really cares about these people. Oddly,
this king and queen seem to have no subjects, and their castle is
scarcely large enough for their family to expand. Perhaps they merely
like to think of themselves as royalty and built a home to match their
fantasy. In any event, these are pleasant people, and John is ideally
situated to aid them, since he stands as tall as their entire castle.
Unfortunately, that's also a liability under certain circumstances.
John isn't generally very clumsy, but whenever he hears the music of the
fairies of the forest, he is unable to resist dancing. And a dancing
giant is hazardous to anyone in his path. The impression one gets is
that John never told his friends the fairies that he was leaving and
that he would be back as soon as he could. Thus, they felt the need to
track him down. Hence, the story potentially offers a subtle lesson in
the importance of communicating properly with one's friends and loved
ones. That could extend to his mother as well. If she had indicated a
little sooner just how little food was in the house - because apparently
John wasn't paying attention - she might have been spared several days
of hunger and the indignity of considering eating her shoe.
Affable John is an easy fellow to embrace, and there's humor in the
creative ways he finds of using his unique talents. The architecturally
improbable result of his Extreme Home Makeover on the castle is
especially amusing. Though Frog and Toad will always be my favorite
Lobel creations, I still get a big kick out of Giant John.
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