The Story Giant

A magical story which weaves together fifty world tales – of immense appeal to both adults and children.

‘One day a story fell from heaven and landed on a giant’s tongue… ’

The Story Giant is a master illusionist and the ur-storyteller. In his memory exists every tale ever told in the world – except for one, which has eluded him for millennia.

In a last desperate attempt to track down this lost tale, he draws four children from the different corners of the globe into his castle while they sleep, there to exchange the tales they know from their own cultures, to see if between them they can piece together the elusive missing story. For if he cannot track it down and install it in his memory, the whole facade of the castle will crumble and fall, and the Story Giant himself will die. And if he does, so will all the stories, and the world will be a poorer, duller, grimmer place.

Fifty tales are told within this magical framework in Brian Patten’s inimitable style – from Bruh Rabbit to the tale of how St George killed the Dragon (except it wasn’t St George – it was his mother, with a pudding…) but none of them are the missing tale. The castle falls; the giant dies. But all is not lost – the four children dream themselves back to the ruins to concoct the missing tale themselves…

Reviews

'Patten brilliantly links fables and moraity tales from around the world…a timeless classic' Sunday Express

Praise for Love Poems:

‘He thinks and feels ferociously’ Listener

‘A magic ability to turn radiant imagination loose’ The Times

About the author

Brian Patten was born in Liverpool in 1946. His poetry for adults has been published in many languages and his collections include Love Poems, Storm Damage, and Grinning Jack. His work for children includes the poetry collections Gargling with Jelly and Thawing Frozen Frogs as well as plays and the award-winning novel Mr Moon’s Last Case.