Omar lived in a peaceful town in the Afghanistan countryside with his mum, dad and sister. Life was good. He loved cricket and despite hissmall stature, was an excellent all-round player. But that was before the planes came. Before the endless bombing killed his father and drove him and his mother out of their town and country with no knowledge of his sister’s whereabouts. For over a year they trudged, one foot after another, looking for a new home.

Omar’s mother organises passage aboard a boat, whose owner promises they will sail to England and freedom. Omar’s uncle is already in the UK, running a cafe. His mum knows the address. All Omar has to do is find him.

Many others are on the small boat – far too many for safety, and Omar ends up waking alone on the beach of yet another foreign place. Called Tiny back home in Afghanistan, he is now a giant.

Named Son of Gulliver, he is soon to learn who Gulliver was to this tiny, kind and generous race that cares for him.

Could he stay with the people of Lilliputt? Did his mother ever make the voyage to the UK after him, like she’d promised?

Boy Giant is a blend of three stories: A refugee fleeing from war, a revisited classic tale of kindness and understanding, and a girl making a pilgrimage to her father.

Boy Giant is illustrated throughout by Michael Forman, and would make a great Read Aloud for both home and the classroom, with its blend of Old meets New, Classic meets Current Affairs, and the magic of a tiny race of little people happy to sit on your shoulder or ride on your hat.

Another Morpurgo/Forman triumph!

Author – Michael Morpurgo

Illustrator – Michael Forman

Age – 7+

(Refugee, War, Afghanistan, Asylum, Migrant, Family, Kindness, Sailing, Rowing, Friendship, Journey, Read Aloud)