George Speaks by Dick King Smith

Bookseller blurb: Laura is amazed when her baby brother George starts talking to her when he's only four weeks old, particularly as he sounds like a grown-up! It's a big secret to keep from their parents and the rest of the family and leads to all sorts of comic confusion until George's first birthday - when he makes a speech to his startled family.

This little junior novel is just plain fun. It would be terrific family or class read aloud. The baby is not supposed to be able to talk let alone do times tables and even read! And his birthday speech is magnificent.

The copy I found in a library was published in 1988 so I held my breath thinking this book would surely be out of print - but NO. Here is the ISBN for the 2021 reprint [9780141316406]. My copy has illustrations by Judy Brown - here is the old cover. I am not sure who has illustrated this newer copy. 

And here are some other covers - you could use these in a library session as a discussion starter about covers and book designers and fonts and reader appeal.

This version is illustrated by Chris Riddell

Dick King-Smith served in the Grenadier Guards during the Second World War and afterwards spent twenty years as a farmer in Gloucestershire, the county of his birth. Many of his stories are inspired by his farming experiences. Later he taught at a village primary school. His first book, The Fox Busters, was published in 1978. He wrote a great number of children’s books, including The Sheep-Pig (winner of the Guardian Award and filmed as Babe), Harry’s Mad, Noah’s Brother, The Queen’s Nose, Martin’s Mice, Ace, The Cuckoo Child and Harriet’s Hare (winner of the Children’s Book Award in 1995). At the British Book Awards in 1991 he was voted Children’s Author of the Year. In 2009 he was made an OBE for services to children’s literature. Dick King-Smith died in 2011 at the age of eighty-eight.

You might also have a really old book in your library called Crumbs by Emily Rodda which is also about a baby who can talk.

The Twin Giants by Dick King Smith illustrated by Mini Grey

This story begins on Mountain Number One.

"Once upon a time there lived two brother giants. Twin brothers, in fact, something that's rare among giants. When the first one was born, his giant father looked at the huge baby and said 'Isn't be e-nor-mous!' And when the second one arrived, his giant mother looked at the huge baby and said 'There's a-lot-ov-im!'"

This is how the boys were given their names - Lottavim (Lot) and Normus (Norm). The twins were best friends and alike in every way except when it came to food. Lottavin liked meat while Normus liked vegetables. After a wonderful childhood the boys finally reached their full height of eighteen feet. 

"It's about time I found a wife." They both said.

Now we move to Mountain Number Two and Mountain Number Three.

Lot goes to Mountain Two where he meets a giantess but sadly she is a vegetarian. On Mountain Three Norm also meets a giantess but she is a meat eater. The boys rush to swap places but because they look completely alike both giantesses say NO. 

Sadly they trudge onto Mountain Seven.

They do not want to fight over finding a wife so they head off to different sides of the mountain. Lot finds a beautiful giantess.

"She was almost as tall has him ... and her hair was corn-coloured and her eyes sea blue and her teeth pearly white. Lottavim stared at her dumbstruck". 

Georgina agrees to be his wife but what about Norm. When he sees Georgina he falls totally in love too.  Now we have a real problem. Two giants and one giantess. How can this be resolved? I am sure the happy ending will totally surprise and delight you. 

The Twin Giants will be treasured for years. It's perfect for reading to children, reading together, and then to read alone. The story, the language, everything, are perfectly pitched, and will never feel too babyish or too grown up. There's a gentle level of humour throughout (best summed up by the names of the giants), which puts a smile on everyone's face. It's a warm, cosy, and lovely book. You'd have to have a heart of stone not to love every last page of it. Highly recommended. The Book Bag

The Twin Giants was first published in 2007 so sadly it is long out of print, but you might find a copy in a library. It has been issued with three different covers. Listen to an audio sample here. I used to teach a unit of work to my Grade 4 groups about conflict resolution - this book would be a perfect one for that topic. 

Dick King-Smith served in the Grenadier Guards during the Second World War and afterwards spent twenty years as a farmer in Gloucestershire, the county of his birth. Many of his stories are inspired by his farming experiences. He wrote a great number of children's books, including The Sheep-Pig (winner of the Guardian Award and filmed as Babe), Harry's Mad, The Hodgeheg, Martin's Mice, The Invisible Dog, The Queen's Nose and The Crowstarver. At the British Book Awards in 1991 he was voted Children's Author of the Year. In 2009 he was made OBE for services to children's literature. Dick King-Smith died in 2011 at the age of eighty-eight. Booktrust