It’s time to find out more about our sensational shortlist!
Our first shortlisted book to go under the spotlight (or should that be under the sea?) is Gigantic by Rob Biddulph, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books. This story about a little whale made a massive splash (sorry) with our judges. Please read on to find out why…
Gigantic by Rob Biddulph (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
What is the book about?
Meet Gigantic, the smallest blue whale in the Atlantic. Dwarfed by the other whales, Gigantic keeps to himself, making new friends and perfecting his somersaults and flips in the bay. But one day when Gigantic’s brother, Titan, gets stuck on the sand, it’s down to Gigantic and his smallest sea creature friends to save the day. Can they show it’s possible to be tiny and tough?
What the judges said:
'Really good rhymes!’
‘I liked it because during or after reading you can talk about two elements to it: kindness to siblings, and messages about the environment.’
‘This is deceptively simple. There is far more going on that you might realise on first reading.’
‘Great illustrations.'
About the author:
Rob Biddulph is an award-winning author and illustrator who lives in London with his wife, daughters and Ringo the cocker spaniel.
Before life as a published author and illustrator, Rob worked on magazines including Just Seventeen, NME and The Observer Magazine. His first picture book, Blown Away, published in 2014, was only the second picture book to win the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.
Rob’s series of #Draw with Rob videos, designed to help parents with children at home from school due to the pandemic, became a viral hit when launched in March 2020. The videos – featuring many of Rob’s own book characters – have captured the imaginations of families, children and artists, young and old, around the world and been watched almost six million times on YouTube alone. Rob holds the Guinness World Record for the biggest art lesson when over 40,000 families joined him online to draw a whale in May 2020.
Rob Biddulph
And last but certainly not least, here’s a quick Q&A with Rob:
What is the picture book that have you enjoyed reading with someone else most, and why?
My favourite stories to read with my own children were rhyming stories because, even before they could read, my girls were able to learn the words, like you learn the words to a song. That meant that, quite often, they would 'read' the book to me rather than the other way around, which I loved. Good rhyming stories, however, are quite hard to find because they are very hard to write (I should know!) and there is a reason why Dr Seuss and Julia Donaldson are so popular - because their rhymes are flawless. So I would say The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and Stick Man were our favourites, and were certainly right at the top of my list of go-to bedtime story choices.
What's your favourite thing about each character in your shortlisted book?
I love Gigantic the whale's relentless positivity in the face of some pretty mean treatment from his big brother, Titan. Despite everything, he doesn't hesitate to reassure Titan when he gets into trouble and does everything he can to help. And he certainly doesn't hold grudges. He is also someone who is totally comfortable in his own skin, despite being the smallest whale in the pod. He is perfectly happy with who he is. A very admirable trait, I think. What I love most about Myrtle the turtle is her open-heartedness. She doesn't judge Gigantic based on the size of his body, but on the size of his heart. She is very happy to be a loyal friend to him at a time when he really needs one.
Which picture book would you give as a gift to your main character, and why?
I would choose This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen. It's my favourite underwater story and I think Gigantic would appreciate the cautionary nature of the tale. Plus I think the hat in the story would suit him.
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen (Walker Books)