A Book of Giants

A Book of Giants is a 1963 anthology of 13 European fairy tales, collected and retold by Ruth Manning-Sanders. Published in the United Kingdom by Methuen & Co. Ltd., it was the first of Manning-Sanders’s many anthologies to use the “A Book of…” title she later became known for. The collection has been used in schools as a study resource.

In the foreword, Manning-Sanders notes that the stories are very old and come from many countries. She points out that the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk, for example, was once sold in chapbooks by traveling pedlars. She also observes that the giants in these tales share a common trait: they are all very stupid, and the way to defeat them is by using one’s wits.

The book includes tales from England, Georgia, Ireland, Cornwall, Jutland, Slavic regions, Germany, Norse tradition, and Romania. Some of these stories later appeared in Manning-Sanders’s A Choice of Magic (1971) and Folk and Fairy Tales (1978).

Kirkus Reviews gave the book a starred review, praising Manning-Sanders’s direct narration and Robin Jacques’s fine-lined drawings, which contrast large and small figures and capture the essence of giantdom with a light touch. The Observer noted the inviting jacket by Jacques and remarked that while myths have often been unfair to giants, the creatures remain tied to nursery lore, especially when portrayed as kindly, stupid fellows easily outwitted by sharp little dwarfs. The review also observed that the tales come from sources as varied as Russian Georgia and Jutland, yet are not so different from one another.