Greta and the Giants: Inspired by Greta Thunberg's Stand to Save the World

by Zoe Tucker

Zoe Persico (Illustrator)

This inspiring picture book retells the story of Nobel Peace Prize nominee Greta Thunberg--the Swedish teenager who has led a global movement to raise awareness about the world's climate crisis--using allegory to make this important topic accessible to young children.

Greta is a little girl who lives in a beautiful forest threatened by Giants. When the Giants first came to the forest, they chopped down trees to make houses. Then they chopped down more trees and made even bigger homes. The houses grew into towns and the towns grew into cities, until now there is hardly any forest left. Greta knows she has to help the animals who live in the forest, but how? Luckily, Greta has an idea...

A section at the back explains that, in reality, the fight against the "giants" isn't over and explains how you can help Greta in her fight.

This book has been printed sustainably in the US on 100% recycled paper. By buying a copy of this book, you are making a donation of 3% of the cover price to 350.org.

• ISBN13: 9780711253773
• Publish Date: 19 November 2019 (first published 22 October 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: White Lion Publishing
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 32
• Language: English

Reviews

[HekArtemis]

Read aloud to my preschooler and my older kids for homeschool - because yes you can still read good quality picture books to your tweens and they will actually enjoy them, if they are good quality. This one is good quality, with a great little story and beautiful artwork.

This is of course based on Greta Thunberg and it's a nice analog of her experiences so far - but with a happy ending that doesn't yet exist. Is that a spoiler? Can you spoil a picture book? At the end, after the story is done it has two pages of text that explains what the story is based on but that the true story is not done yet. It also gives suggestions for actions that can be taken to fight climate change.

My tweens really did enjoy the book and were very interested in the story but especially the text at the end explaining everything. They have asked for more information about Greta, climate change, and climate action ideas.

This book did the job I wanted it to do.

(for clarity my kids are currently 12, 10, and 4)

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Greta and the Giants is a sensitively written and beautifully illustrated story for young readers by Zoë Tucker and Zoe Persico. Due out 19th Nov 2019 from Quarto on their Frances Lincoln Children's imprint, it has 32 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats (ebook available now).

This is a sweet allegorical story with an accessible and appealing (and positive) message for children and their caregivers. I hope the positivity and denouement of the book version of Greta's mission has an equally good outcome in our real world. The story would make a superlative book discussion or circle read in a classroom, library, or home setting. There are discussion prompts and further reading links included in the back of the book.

The illustrations are lush, colorful, and well rendered. There are all kinds of small details which will encourage lingering over the illustrations and finding different details. It would make a good bedtime story selection as well.

Well done, quite beautiful and uplifting.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.