This is a particularly useful theme to discuss with children as part of multi- cultural awareness. The author does not describe the Giant world as a fantasy world as seen in the BFG. Instead the giant world is portrayed as a human world. The sense of a different world is therefore created by the use of specific language devises.
The words are easy to pronounce and a separate vocabulary is located in the back of the book for easy reference. This provides a good exercise in using references. Attention is paid to the emotional connection between the three young children, making their relationship more believable and allowing the reader to be more involved with the characters.
Initial arguments between the human children make way for greater collaboration. This strengthens the idea that shared problems and hardships provide the right environment for relationships to strengthen. Collette discovers that she and the giant have similar hobbies such as their desire to collect things. Collette also starts to realise that she and the giant have a similar outlook and personality which allows her to question her initial fear and dislike of the giant.
The book was both fascinating and a delight to read. It contained themes of understanding and respect for others, the importance of teamwork.
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The book is appropriate for KS2 and could be a starting point for a wider discussion on cultural diversity and working together. Jun 28, Shelby rated it it was amazing. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I recommend this book to my brother, and my sister, and everyone around. My favorite part was where the giant met the kids. Wordplay abounds in an enjoyable story of giants and 'little people' - us!
After so many of her picture books, I was curious to see Julia Donaldson's skill at, not only prose, but a book for older children. You are unlikely to recognise her trademark style here, a prose story about giants and humans, but the usual readability is there, and her way with words. A young giant, Jumbeelia, believes her mother's stories about little people iggly plops and, as a collector, determines to go out and find Wordplay abounds in an enjoyable story of giants and 'little people' - us!
A young giant, Jumbeelia, believes her mother's stories about little people iggly plops and, as a collector, determines to go out and find some and add them to her collections. Managing to grow and climb down a beanstalk, she comes across the Jones children, a brother and two sisters. They suddenly find themselves in a sack with a sheep and sit-on lawn mower and on the move And so here starts the story of their escape and their adventures in the giant world. It's a great reversal story for children, seeing themselves as the toy, the plaything, the tiny object.
I loved the giant language, many words of which you can see roots of in English. Thank goodness for the glossary!! There are two actually, one English-Giant not sure why - for fun after reading? A great little adventure story, not too long and with a lot of chapters. Could be read to younger children but the wordplay will appeal most to the 8 and above age range.
Definitely one to try if you have a fan of Donaldson now grown out of picture books, a fan of fairy tales that are a little different, or just someone in need of an appealing story. Gender neutral, with strong central characters of both sexes. I'd like this to be used as a class reader, it would form a brilliant basis for creative writing in giant language, and lots of word games and imaginative tasks based on the giant world.
Rather, found it pointless. May 01, Thomas rated it liked it. It is an easy pleasure to spend a couple of hours in Donaldson's company. Her shorter, more familiar picture books are at the forefront of their genre and The Giants and the Joneses is a highly enjoyable novel for that difficult age group, the move from the Gruffalo to Narnia and beyond. She bridges the gap quite nicely with an action packed fairy tale twist story with plenty of real danger, light humour and fantasy silliness.
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Children familiar with Jack and the Beanstalk will get their kicks ou It is an easy pleasure to spend a couple of hours in Donaldson's company. Children familiar with Jack and the Beanstalk will get their kicks out of the story's clever reversal - Giant throws down some beans to climb down to the human world and collect some human pets for herself. The human's she finds are three siblings. The middle sister is a collector, mirroring the giant, and there is a not so subtle message in the tale, preaching respect and care for all living things. The giant sees the humans as the girl sees her snails.
Its a nice little perspective switch for a young reader. The older brother is predictably the grumpy tease who will, of course, become the older brother who looks after them and protects them. The little sister, barely speaking in full sentences, is of course the one who, despite her lack of years, finds a way to communicate and befriend the giant. They are typecast characters, the giant family as well, but they are three dimensional enough to carry the story and make you enjoy the ride.
The particularly charming part of the story is the giant's language, made up of nonsense words on the page and complimented with a dictionary at the back of the book. It's not a gimick, it really is part of the story and I imagine will be a source of fascination for any children interested in words. For bilingual children it is an especially interesting aspect of the story. It is fitting that the youngest, the linguistic sponge, who soaks up enough giantish vocabulary to be able to finally converse with their kidnapper.
It's also a nice way of promoting index skills and searching for words. Donaldson keeps it simple and silly, most of the words sound childishly hillarious, and it really works. The second half of the story is a rollocking escape filled with deadly challenges - a tormenting giant brother, duels with giant wasps and spiders, untrained, massive kittens, traversing stairways and big gaps, baths with waves and open plugholes, mad old giants traumatised by the loss of his teddy years past, chases on a miniature lawn mower and a wonderfully morbid moment when a tiny sheep is apparently flushed down the toilet.
It's fun, funny and scary at times, just showing how frightening tales of a Grim nature are when described and elaborated on in a modern style. A lovely first novel for budding readers. Jan 16, Andrea Gordon rated it it was ok Shelves: When Jumbeelia throws a bimple bean over the edge of Groil, the land of giants, a bimplestonk beanstalk grows overnight.
Jumbeelia descends on the bimplestonk to see if the iggly plops humans really do exist or a just a part of story as her mother insists. Jumbeelia not only discovers that iggly plops exist, she puts three of them in her collecting bag with an iggly blebber sheep and takes them back to her home in Groil. Stephen, Collette and Poppy Jones are the humans iggly plops that When Jumbeelia throws a bimple bean over the edge of Groil, the land of giants, a bimplestonk beanstalk grows overnight.
Stephen, Collette and Poppy Jones are the humans iggly plops that Jumbeelia has collected. They now find themselves living in Jumbeelia 19s bedroom in her doll house subject to the whims of their captor. They can 19t communicate since none of them speak Groilish, the language of the giants.
Escape seems impossible given the relative sizes of human children and a giant house. Even the stairs seem like huge cliffs to the Jones children. When Jumbeelia 19s mean brother, Zab, comes home from school the children 19s troubles multiply. How will they ever escape and find their way back home? For readers who enjoy fractured fairy tales or who have wondered what life in the land of giants would be like. Jun 20, Michael Mccaul rated it really liked it. The giants and the Joneses is a modern progression of the Jack and the beanstalk fairytale.
The story swaps point of view from initially following Jumbeelia, a young Giant girl who likes collecting things and exploring to her latest collection, a sibling trio of humans who are it seems, equally dysfunctional.
The Giants and the Joneses
Jumbeelia finds her family to be hard work, especially her younger brother who is away at boarding school. On an escapade down the beanstalk she encounters something fantastical, something The giants and the Joneses is a modern progression of the Jack and the beanstalk fairytale. On an escapade down the beanstalk she encounters something fantastical, something that's not supposed to be real, little people. The book then switches to focus on the siblings ordeal as captives and how each of them grows to understand more about themselves as they understand more about Jumbeelia and her family.
A wonderful story full of warmth.
Julia Donaldson Books - The Giants and the Joneses
I found the giants' language quite jarring to begin with but enjoyed the challenge of figuring out the English equivalent words as the book went on. I think this would be a good read for primary children at year , as they may already be familiar with the jack and the beanstalk story. Jul 07, Jackie rated it liked it Shelves: Jumbeelia can't wait to climb down the bimplestonk beanstalk and find the iggly plops little people that crazy old Throg has spoken about so many times.
Julia Donaldson Julia Donaldson is one of today's most popular writers. Your review has been submitted successfully, thank you. There was an error submitting review. Name Please enter your first name only.
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Location Please enter your location, but not an exact address. I can now know what the stories all about. Share this page with your friends. More books like this. Griff Although Jackie looks after Gran's tatty old donkey, Barnaby, she longs to have her own horse like the local boys. Every giant knows beanstalks and little people don't exist. Almost every giant, anyway. When Jumbeelia's curiosity leads her to a real-live bimplestonk at the edgeland of Groil and down, down, down into Colette, Stephen and Poppy's lives, the children find themselves in BIG trouble!
They're desperate to get home - but it's not easy when even the wasps are giant sized! This upside-down fairy tale is perfect for fans of Roald Dahl and David Walliams, as well as children who enjoyed The Gruffalo when they were younger. Born in London in she grew up with her younger sister Mary who she loved to create imaginary characters with. Open to residents of all locations. Always check the book for any safety warnings before giving to a child. Some books may not be suitable for children aged 3 or under.
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use our website you agree to our use of cookies. Read our Privacy Policy to find out more. The Giants and the Joneses by. Egmont UK Ltd Imprint: Egmont Books Ltd Format: Paperback Number of Pages: Sign up to our newsletter for Reviews 0 Top Tips 0. A very clever twist on Jack and the Beanstalk told from a girl giant perspective. We loved the giant's language dictionary at the back of the book.