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The Giants and the Joneses My longest book! And it is going to be made into a film by Warner Brothers and Heyday Productions (the team behind the Harry Potter films). It’s for 7-11-year olds, and I hope will reach those who enjoyed The Gruffalo but now want something more challenging. Inspired by my son Alastair, who as a child was an avid collector of anything and everything, it tells the story of three human children (or “iggly plops” in giant language) and a girl giant, Jumbeelia, who first collects and then neglects them. Stranded in the land of giants, the Joneses find themselves at the mercy of Jumbeelia’s sadistic brother Zab, and have to draw on all their resources to hatch an escape plan. The book features an invented language, Groilish, and there is a dictionary at the back. The line drawings are by Paul Hess. There is also an audio version, read by Helen Lederer "so good in so many ways that it’s hard to know where to start… Donaldson’s stroke of genius is Groilish, the giants’ wonderfully onomatopoeic language… this adventure is set to be a giant hit." The Herald There is also an audio edition read by Helen Lederer. If you'd like to have a go at the the Groilish quiz and worksheet, click groilish.pdf to download it then print it out. Princess Mirror-Belle
The idea for this book came from my oldest son Hamish whose reflection was his imaginary friend. Ellen’s reflection announces that she is a princess, and she turns out to be a very boastful and bossy one, who climbs out of the mirror and gets shy Ellen into all sorts of unexpected adventures. There are six stories in the book, and in each one Mirror-Belle appears from a different mirror. The line drawings are by Lydia Monks. There is also an audio version, read by June Whitfield, and there are plans for a television series. Mirror-Belle’s further adventures can be read in Princess Mirror-Belle and the Magic Shoes and Princess Mirror-Belle and the Flying Horse. "A pinkly perfect story for all little girls with an imaginary friend and a hidden naughty streak." The Guardian There is also an audio edition read by June Whitfield.
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