William Pène du Bois is not totally unknown these days. But the winner of the Newbery in 1948 (for The Twenty-One Balloons) is pretty much forgotten, which is a shame. After reading The Giant and The Twenty-One Balloons, I'm hungry for more, but find that nearly his entire catalog is out-of-print.
Pène du Bois writes in the sort of sophisticated style which is delightful for children because it is immediately accessible, and very funny, without an ounce of condescension--the sort of style you might associate with classic authors like P.L. Travers or J.M. Barie, or in more recent times, E.B. White and Roald Dahl.
The Giant is the improbable tale of an eight-year-old boy who grows a little too fast--he is seven stories tall. Because of this unusual circumstance, his parents give him over to a protective organization that keeps him hidden away for his own and others' safety.
But more than playing into the archetypal narrative of the child who doesn't fit in, The Giant gives its narrator a chance to dive into his own quirky and comic ideas and observations. This is a novel where a character exists mainly as an opportunity to describe his automobile and wardrobe. It's hilarious, and an excellent choice for an adult and a child to enjoy together.
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