Fig's Giant

McCaughrean has made many older stories accessible to young audiences. Here she tells the tale of Fig, the girl who discovers Gulliver on the shore of Lilliput, and overcomes her fears to befriend him. It’s the Gulliver story told from Fig’s point of view, in which Lilliputians are the right size and Gulliver is a giant. Although the story begins by telling us that Fig is a child with many fears, it’s not entirely clear just how her encounter with the giant helps her overcome these. However, the resultant friendship has the thrill of the story in which a child encounters an extraordinary friend, including that magic moment when she is literally plucked away from school and rides on Gulliver’s shoulder to put a stop to the war between Lilliput and Belfuscu. This retelling will certainly charm those who have already been charmed by Swift’s classic.