Muncle Trogg

January 15, 2012
Children who thought they could never identify with a giant may be surprised by this classically Dahl-esque British import. Muncle Trogg is the world's smallest giant, and he may also be the smartest. He's the only giant who isn't afraid of little human schoolgirls. Actually, he's the only giant who's ever met one. Everyone else is terrified of the "Smallings" and their magic killing sticks. But Muncle goes to visit a human town for himself, to see if he could decipher the letters in their books of magic. Curious, open-minded and no bigger than a Smalling, Muncle is hated by every other giant. Even his brother likes to dangle him upside-down for fun. This, of course, makes him the ideal hero for a children's book. Even the most rosy-spectacled readers will be astounded at how many feats of glory he pulls off in 224 pages. The many surprises are the book's greatest strength, but also its weakness. The action sometimes feels haphazard. Just how did Muncle get from the floor show at a royal banquet to the bottom of a volcano in only a few chapters? Then again, life is haphazard. Anyone who's ever felt like the world's smallest giant will find something to like in this book and will enjoy being astounded on every page. (Fantasy. 7-10)

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2012

Gr 3-5-Muncle Trogg comes from a family of giants, but he doesn't look like his relatives. He is teased and ridiculed for being as short as a Smalling (human), and even his own brother, Gritt, enjoys holding him upside down. When Muncle and his classmates visit a Smalling Museum, he tries on Smalling clothing and is fascinated to find that it fits. Wise Man to the King, Biblios, suggests that he wear the clothes to the king's upcoming birthday party, and Muncle uses this opportunity to sneak off to the Smalling town to learn more about the humans. There, he meets and befriends a girl named Emily, and when she is kidnapped by the Giants, it is up to Muncle to rescue her. Foxley has constructed a whimsical tale full of flying dragons, wart-covered giants, and a miniature giant with a heart of gold. Expressive black-and-white drawings further allow readers to enjoy this funny romp. There are rumblings of further installments in store as Mount Grumble (actually a volcano) looks ready to explode, and an animated feature film is in the works.-Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2012
Grades 4-6 Unnaturally small of stature but more courageous and far brighter than his thick-headed clan, an undersize giant ventures into the world of the feared Smallings in this lightweight British farce. Harassed by his much larger little brother at home and by both bullies and teachers at school, 10-year-old Muncle is eager to prove himself. Among other adventures, he sneaks away from his hidden mountain colony in captured human clothes for a brief visit to a modern town, becomes the first giant in generations to ride a flying dragon, triumphs in the annual Burps 'n' Farts Competition at the king's birthday party, and even rescues a kidnapped human girl from the clutches of spoiled Princess Puglug. Bald, pop-eyed, and with the general proportions of a Palmer Cox Brownie, Muncle cuts a comically shrimpy figure in O'Kif's pen-and-ink vignettes and occasional full-page drawings. But there's more to him than meets the eyeas readers, and even his Brobdingnagian brethren, come to realize by the end. Surefire fare for Cressida Cowell and Philip Ardagh fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)