The Giant of Jum

PreS-Gr 2—The Giant of Jum is off to find a snack, preferably a child named Jack. Along the way he inadvertently does three good deeds, including carrying a little Jack Snack on his back. Because of this, the townspeople think he is a kindly soul and bake a treat for him. When he informs them he's come to eat children, they tell him, "Nice giants always eat cake." This satisfying take on tales about the giant and Jack is written in clever rhyme with perfect pacing. Even the traditional bits have a fun twist: " 'Fi!' he said, and 'Fee!' he said, and 'Fum!' he said, and 'Fo!' he said." Davies's delightful artwork teems with little critters who are running or hiding from the title character (one rabbit family even lives in the Giant's hat) and wonderfully adds to the text. For example, one scene shows all the creative ways the children attempt to get a cat out of a tree before calling on the Giant to help. A charming marriage of text and art, this book will stand up to repeated presentations again and again.