Gigantic

In this picturebook we meet Gigantic, a young whale who has a long way to go to live up to his impressive name – he is very tiny. His brother Titan (who definitely does live up to his name) makes fun of him and says Gigantic should play with smaller sea creatures such as Myrtle the Turtle. Gigantic is a jolly creature and does just that; we see him having exuberant fun deep in the ocean with his new friend Myrtle. One day Titan and his friends Hulk and Colossus are watching Gigantic practise his tail spins. Hulk and Colossus are very impressed with the little whale’s amazing skills. Titan is jealous and determined to show that anything his little brother can do he can do better. Despite warnings that the water is too shallow he goes ahead and unsurprisingly quickly becomes grounded. It is up to Gigantic and his team of small sea creatures to try and save the day.

This is a delightful story about sibling rivalry and love. It shows that it is possible to make a difference even if you are small and it is the size of your heart not your height or weight that is important.

Stunningly illustrated and designed with rich colour and lots to savour in the detailed undersea world this is an enjoyable picturebook with some lyrical touches and a rhyming text.