The Sleeping Giant

Off the coast of Ireland there lies an island. It looks just like a giant sleeping in the sea. What if it really is a giant-and what if, one day, the Sleeping Giant wakes up?

In this beautifully illustrated picture book Marie Louise Fitzpatrick tells the story of a Kerry giant whose size and clumsiness annoy his neighbors so much that they appeal to their king for help. The local druid concocts a special stew which makes the giant sleepy. He wades out to the sea off Dingle, lies down and falls fast asleep. He sleeps and sleeps. Grass and seaweed cover him. Eventually people forget who he is and begin to believe that he is a small island.

Centuries later, the giant wakes up and causes havoc, terrifying locals and tourists alike. Unable to find his friends, who have died hundreds of years ago, he feels lonely and goes back out to sea where he sits down and starts to cry. Then along comes a little girl called Ann who volunteers to talk to him. She is flown out in a helicopter and persuades him that really the people are very fond of him. . . . Together they come up with a solution that keeps everyone happy.