The Night Giant, written by Lorenzo Coltellacci and illustrated by Lorenzo Sangio. Kids Can Press, 2025. $23.99 ages 4 and up

"There is also a determined detective who organizes
search parties every month. He looks for evidence 
of enormous footprints. 

But the Giant leaves no such footprints
because he's as light as a feather."

There are times when I don't know what to think about the book I am about to read. It often happens if it is written by an author unknown to me, or if I have heard nothing about it. As I took my first look at The Night Giant, I knew I liked the height of the book; kids will like that as well. It made me think about size and giants and what might be coming up next. 

The title page is the invitation needed to whet the appetite for more. A soft and cuddly giant gazes over the top of a three-story building in night's waning darkness. Turn to the first spread - the sun is setting, said giant is peering over rooftops directly at the reader. Apparently, the villagers know he is there, while knowing little more than that. Some say he uses the darkness of night to play tricks. 

He likes to build a tall tower from the benches he finds around town. Carelessly, he makes the tower too high, and it always crashes before he is done. The evidence is left for people to find in morning light. He swaps rooftops, and watches with interest as streetlights light up. As the sun rises in the east, he is quick to hide himself away again. It is his nightly ritual. People in the village are left to wonder where he hides during the day. What do you think? 

The surprise ending is an absolute delight!                                                                                      

What's Scarier Than Thunder? Written by Ben Falcone and illustrated by Kevin Cornell. G.P. Putnam's Sons, Penguin Random House. 2025. $24.99 ages 4 and up

 

"Claire laughed so hard her mom
came into her room. 

"What's all this giggling about? 
Shouldn't you be sleeping by now?"

"I'm glad you're here, honey. Claire
thinks thunder is the scariest thing 
around. Can you believe that?"

"Oh, wow. Thunder doesn't bother 
me now that I've see some truly scary 
things. But I probably shouldn't tell 
you about them."

Claire couldn't help herself. 
She was too curious!"

As an adult, I am not always comfortable in thunderstorms. Maybe, it's being alone and watching the endless flashes of light, or the booming crashes that precede them. It is the way Claire feels when a frightful storm keeps her from sleep. Luckily, her dad is there to do his best to distract from her fear. 

He tells her about his worry in a storm when he was younger. Claire is surprised to learn that. Dad goes on to share the many things that he thinks are far scarier than thunder. He regales her with silly rhymes that don't seem that scary to his daughter. As Dad offers varied scenarios, Claire uses her imagination to picture what he is describing. Each gets sillier and sillier. 

"Oh, really? What about 
the witch in the woods
who tried to sell her baked goods 
to a goblin named Art who 

           just 

               loved 

                   to ... 

... sneeze!"

The laughter is so loud, Claire's mother comes to check on them. It takes no time for Mom to get involved with some of her own upsetting times. The fun continues with scene after scene; Claire joins in the fun that involves zombies, squids, dragons, and clowns ... right back to the beginning with a scorpion named Finn. Finally, Claire is exhausted by all the action and succumbs to her need for slumber. 

The riotous text and imaginative artwork work together like a dream. The energy is awesome and the distractions from the storm's noise is exactly what Claire needs to find comfort in a soft pillow and cozy blanket.