Module 13: Giants Beware!

Giants Beware! 

The Chronicles of Claudette

by Jorge Aguirre

Citation:

Aguirre, J. (2012). Giants beware! New York: First Second. 

Summary

Giants Beware! is a graphic novel about a girl named Claudette that lives in a town surrounded by a wall because they fear the giant. No one is allowed outside the wall. Her father had been injured fighting a dragon, and she has the same urge to fight. She convinces (tricks) her friends to sneak out, find the dragon, and kill him. They experience many adventures along the way, but eventually find the giant only to find out that he is a baby giant and only wants to play. Claudette wants to be thought of as being brave, so she and her friends trick their fathers and many other townspeople into thinking that the giant has been killed.

Impressions

This is a great graphic novel. The story line is different from what you would expect. The lead character is a girl that wants to slay a giant. It is quite funny and the illustrations do a great job of telling and adding to the story. The ending is not predictable even if it is sort of silly. This is a graphic novel that would be enjoyed by both girls and boys.

Professional Reviews

Gr 3-6--A blacksmith's daughter is unsatisfied with her peaceful life within the fortress of Mont Petit Pierre. Rambunctious and loudmouthed, Claudette yearns for action, like killing the giant that lives on the mountain outside of town. With her timid brother, Gaston, and her ladylike friend, Marie, she blusters her way through the fortress gate and into the Forest of Death, beyond which lies the Mad River, and then Giant's Peak. Can these three kids, armed with a wooden sword, Marie's intelligence, Gaston's fortitude, Claudette's stinky feet, and a pug named Valiant, survive in the wilderness and defeat the giant? Of course they can, but not in the ways they might have expected. The adults in the story are distinguished by exaggerated characteristics, but their actions are driven by realistic, largely generous motives. The story strikes a fine balance between being action-and friendship-driven. The art is similarly well-balanced: Rosado's ink drawings are strong and lively, with expressive characters and well-drawn landscapes. Digitally applied color is natural, bright, and nonintrusive. Fans of Jimmy Gownley's "Amelia Rules" (S&S) and Jeff Smith's "Bone" series (Scholastic) will snap this title up.

School Library Journal

Willey, P. (2012). Giants Beware![Review of Book]. School Library 

            Journal, 58(5), 133.

*****************

You've heard it all before. A reckless and adventurous child runs off with a dog companion and friends, and together they brave dangerous terrain and confront the monster that has been terrorizing their town, only to learn that things are not always as they appear and that nothing is more valuable than friendship. But when your reckless adventurer is a tomboy, and her little brother yearns to be both a sword maker and a pastry chef, and when the standard for becoming a good princess is intelligence and cunning, and when the success of the quest ultimately hinges on saving the giant, it's clear that with strategic tweaks to just the right expectations, a familiar story can be invested with all the charm and fun a young reader could want. In a format running rampant with animation- and manga inspired art, Rosado distinguishes his work with the rounded figures and distinctive characteristics of Charles Schulz and action that engages but doesn't become chaotic. A zingy little story told with fine flair. - Jesse Karp

The Booklist

Karp, J. (2012). Giants beware! [Review of book]. The Booklist, 108(14), 46.

Library Lesson ideas

Giants Beware! would be a great book to use as an introduction to the genre of “Graphic Novel.” After listening to/reading the story, students could create their own graphic novel or comic strip using speech bubbles.

References

Aguirre, J. (2012). Giants beware! New York: First Second. 

Amazon.(2016). [Image of cover]. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Giants-

         Beware-Chronicles-Claudette-Aguirre/dp/1596435828/ref=sr_1_1?

         ie=UTF8&qid=1460815810&sr=8-1&keywords=beware+of+giants

Karp, J. (2012). Giants beware! The Booklist, 108(14), 46.

Willey, P. (2012). Giants Beware![Review of Book]. School Library 

           Journal, 58(5), 133.