The Giant Jumperee

by Julia Donaldson, Helen Oxenbury (Illustrator)

Overview

Two of the world's most celebrated picture book creators, Julia Donaldson and Helen Oxenbury, team up for the first time in this jaunty animal fable for fans of Room on the Broom and We're Going on a Bear Hunt

Rabbit arrives home one day to hear a loud voice coming from inside his burrow:

"I'm the Giant Jumperee and I'm scary as can be!" shouts the stranger. 

Rabbit's friends Cat, Bear, and Elephant come to help, but they're no match for the mysterious, booming voice. But who is the Giant Jumperee? Find out in this new read-aloud classic from internationally bestselling author Julia Donaldson, beautifully brought to life by award-winning illustrator Helen Oxenbury.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735227972
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	04/18/2017
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	402,020
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.30(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD470L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Julia Donaldson is one of today's best-loved children's authors. She was the U.K. Children's Laureate 2011-2013 and has written over 100 books for children, including the international bestsellers The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom. Her books have received numerous awards, including the Red House Children's Book Award and the Blue Peter Award. She lives in Sussex, England with her husband.

Helen Oxenbury has charmed generations of children with her award-winning illustrations. She has won the Kate Greenaway Medal, the Kurt Maschler Award, and the Eric Carle Honor. Her numerous books include We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, and Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox. She lives in London with her husband, the author and artist John Burningham.

Editorial Reviews

★ 01/30/2017
Some unseen ghoul or monster is occupying Rabbit’s burrow. “I’m the Giant Jumperee,” it announces from inside, “and I’m scary as can be!” Rabbit’s pals each offer to rout the villain, but the Giant Jumperee knows exactly which anxiety button to push (Bear is told “I’ll sting you like a bee!”) and they retreat. That leaves Mama Frog, who employs the most powerful weapon in a mother’s arsenal: counting to three. Out bounces her very own Baby Frog (“Hello, Mama! I’m the Giant Jumperee!”), elated and unapologetic at having snookered the grownups. It’s as slight as a story can be, but Donaldson knows that less really can be more, and her straightforward, occasionally rhyming narration is all the setup her peerless collaborator needs. Oxenbury paints Mama Frog as a don’t-mess-with-me matriarch whose decisive physicality—hands planted on hips, belly thrust forward, eyes focused like a laser—instantly establishes her as a force to be reckoned with. That she turns a bit sheepish when her offspring is revealed to be the source of the hubbub (her look heavenward is priceless) just makes her more of a superstar. Ages 3–5. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Giant Jumperee

* "Oxenbury is in fine form here. . . . Donaldson’s spare text is perfect for read-alouds, and the title character’s dialogue is full of catchy rhymes. Little ones will clamor for this one again and again. A lovely option for storytime or one-on-one sharing." —School Library Journal, starred review

* "Donaldson knows that less really can be more, and her straightforward, occasionally rhyming narration is all the setup her peerless collaborator needs. Oxenbury paints Mama Frog as a don’t-mess-with-me matriarch whose decisive physicality . . . instantly establishes her as a force to be reckoned with." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "The gleeful, unrepentant culprit is sure to make children giggle—then pause with Mama Frog's response. The text's tone, plot, and repetitions are perfect for the youngest readers. The artwork is a masterful match, with humorous, exquisitely rendered body language and facial expressions. . . . The final, wordless double-page spread is a joyous affirmation of life and friendship. A winner for libraries everywhere: home, public, day care, preschool, and school." —Kirkus, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 04/01/2017
Toddler-PreS—When Rabbit hears a booming voice coming from his burrow, from someone who claims to be the Giant Jumperee, he's terrified. Cat, Bear, and Elephant each attempt to investigate but are sent running by the unseen occupant. Luckily, Mama Frog puts things right and reveals that the Giant Jumperee isn't nearly as terrifying as he sounds. Though the ending will be predictable to adults, it will elicit giggles of delight from the youngest readers and listeners. With just a few sentences per page, a repetitive narrative, and large illustrations that fill each spread, this straightforward tale will make for a lively and effective group read-aloud. Oxenbury is in fine form here. Sweet but never cloying, her soft watercolor images make excellent use of texture and shading, and her animals are utterly expressive: timid Rabbit hunches over in fear, determined Cat stalks toward the burrow with a frown, dazed Bear gazes up in shock, rattled Elephant wraps his trunk around a tree branch, and stern Mama Frog stands with arms akimbo as she summons the Giant Jumperee. Donaldson's spare text is perfect for read-alouds, and the title character's dialogue is full of catchy rhymes. VERDICT Little ones will clamor for this one again and again. A lovely option for storytime or one-on-one sharing, especially for collections seeking materials for the younger set.—Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal

School Library Journal

★ 2017-03-06
Rabbit, Cat, Bear, and Elephant are afraid of a voice coming out of Rabbit's burrow, but Mama Frog solves the mystery."Rabbit was hopping home one day when he heard a loud voice…: ‘I'm the GIANT JUMPEREE and I'm scary as can be!' " A gentle, pastel-hued watercolor setting lies behind the upright, taken-aback Rabbit on verso and the grassy entrance to his burrow on recto. When Rabbit cries for help, Cat (a female) volunteers to "slink inside and pounce"—until the voice calls out again, repeating "I'm the GIANT JUMPEREE and I'll squash you like a flea!" As each of the aforementioned animals goes to the next one for help, they all stay near the burrow, anxiously awaiting the appearance of the voice's mysterious owner, which issues a different rhyming threat with each new encounter. Mama Frog uses a technique that many preschoolers will recognize: she counts to three to make the Giant Jumperee leave Rabbit's burrow. The gleeful, unrepentant culprit is sure to make children giggle—then pause with Mama Frog's response. The text's tone, plot, and repetitions are perfect for the youngest readers. The artwork is a masterful match, with humorous, exquisitely rendered body language and facial expressions. Each time there is tension, the art and text of the following page relieves it. The final, wordless double-page spread is a joyous affirmation of life and friendship. A winner for libraries everywhere: home, public, day care, preschool, and school. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews