The Sleeping Giant

a handsome picture book with a charming story … bold and dynamic with plenty of Irish cultural references … a wonderful stimulus for oral language lessons

* InTouch Magazine *

this book will bring a new audience to a favourite with children all over Ireland. As a celebrated Irish author and illustrator for children, Fitzpatrick has filled the book with highly detailed, vibrant and atmospheric watercolour pictures. The colour palette varies from gently muted pastels to rich hues of reds and blues and purples, reflecting each present mood … A story to be read over and again; the rich language and the detailed pictures demand further enjoyment

* Books for Keeps *

a huge favourite

-- Woman’s Way

a magical book with wonderful illustrations which  both adults and children of all ages will find engaging and captivating … There are endless possibilities as to how  this book could be effectively used in  the classroom. Some which spring to mind include (a) sequencing activity where students retell the story orally, in writing or through drawing pictures (b) readers’ theatre where students work collaboratively in groups to write the script (c) in SPHE, exploring how someone’s difference(s) can instil a sense of isolation and fear. I read this book to a variety of classes ranging from Junior Infants to 3rd Class and all the students were thoroughly enthralled by the storyline as well as the illustrations. This would be a wonderful addition to any classroom library given the multifaceted nature of this book. 

-- Sandra Ní Dhubhda, SEN Teacher * Seomra Ranga *

a magical reading and visual experience for a new generation

-- NI4Kids

new edition for a new generation of children to enjoy

-- Ireland’s Own Magazine

just as magical as it was in 1991 when it first landed on shelves

-- Irish Country Magazine

much-loved picture book with fine watercolour illustrations

-- Irish Independent

Ireland is a land of myth and mystery and this tale has been a great success since its first publication in 1991 … This enjoyable story with its modern take on tradition, and with its subtly coloured illustrations packed with quirky details, is a delight to read

-- Parents in Touch

a welcome return of Fitzpatrick’s classic tale

-- Irish Examiner

much-loved … magical in both its storyweaving and illustration

-- Evening Echo

The Sleeping Giant has returned … with Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick’s beautiful story of an out-of-place giant … it was a joy when it was first released and remains so today with illustrations that breath life and voice into the mystical story

-- Clare People

remains one of the high achievements of picture-book art and storytelling: words
and pictures wonderfully combine to create a world where elements of the traditional and the modern are attractively brought together to provide a magical reading and visual experience

-- Robert Dunbar

A gem … Fitzpatrick’s lovely watercolour illustrations are filled with funny, quirky details and match the text perfectly.

* Irish Times *

A delightful, satisfying, highly recommended story which will see many a young child to trouble-free sleep for years to come.

-- Clodagh Corcoran * Books Ireland *

Every child will love this delicate picture book about the mayhem created when the giant wakes and takes a walk.

-- Mary Finn * RTE Gui