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Description
Helen is a fine hand with a slingshot, and more than at home in the woods. After all, she was raised by bears for a time. When she stumbles on the castle of three evil giants, she comes up with the perfect plan to rid the land of them. Well, almost perfect…. The biggest and meanest giant catches her, and forces her to help him kidnap the Princess Antoinette. Always quick on her hairy bare feet, Helen manages to save the sleeping princess and finish off the giant, before heading quietly back to the woods. No one knows who the giant killer is, and Helen isn’t talking. Antoinette and her father, the king, are determined to find the hero, and come up with a plan of their own.
Andy Jones’s hilarious new folktale adaptation/middle reader Barefoot Helen and the Giants is jam-packed with adventures and tales of adventure. It celebrates brave and resourceful girls, blended families, and storytelling itself.
Contributor Notes
An actor, writer, storyteller, and director, Andy Jones was born and raised in St. John’s, Newfoundland. He worked with CODCO, both in theatre and on television, and with Sheila’s Brush Theatre Troupe. He has written, performed, and toured five one-man shows; has performed in theatrical productions across Canada and in numerous television shows and films.
He is the author/adaptor, with Philip Dinn, of Peg Bearskin, a folktale from Placentia Bay, which was shortlisted for the 2004/05 Hackmatack Award and named to the International Youth Library’s prestigious White Ravens List; the book has recently been re-issued with new illustrations and in a new design. This new edition was co-recipient of the 2019 Aesop Award (Children's Folklore Division of the American Folklore Society).
His on-going series of Jack tales, illustrated by Darka Erdelji and designed by Veselina Tomova, has been much lauded: The Queen of Paradise’s Garden was named to the IYL’s White Ravens List, and was shortlisted for the 2010 Bruneau Family Award and the 2010 Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage and History Award; Jack and the Manger, a re-telling of the Christmas story as if it were a Newfoundland folktale, received the 2012 Bruneau Family Award for Children’s/Young Adult Literature and was shortlisted for the 2012 NL Heritage and History Award; Jack and Mary in the Land of Thieves received the 2012 BMO Winterset Award and the 2014 Bruneau Family Award. Jack, the King of Ashes was nominated for the 2015 Ann Connor Brimer Award, the 2015 Governor-General's Literary Award for Illustrated Children's Book and the 2016 Silver Birch Express Award. Jack and the Green Man, the fifth book in this series, was shortlisted for the 2017/2018 Hackmatack Award, and included in the Canadian Children's Book Centre's Best Books for Kids & Teens.His most recent publication is Barefoot Helen and the Giants.
His previous audiobook Letters from Uncle Val was produced by Rattling Books in 2006.
In 2019, Jones was named to the Order of Canada in recognition of his contributions to the literature and culture of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 9 to 12
- Grade:
- 4 to 7
- Reading age:
- 9 to 12
Editorial Review
“The perfect book if you love stories about clever girls who think on their feet, nasty greedy giants, and kings and princesses. Raised by bears, found by a lonely couple who always wished for a chid and smart as a whip, Helen might only have nine toes (that's a story in itself as you'll find out!) but she's brave, smart and not willing to let giants get the better of her. Find out what happens when she strikes out on her own in this hilarious story, based on classic folktales but with some wonderful twists...” — Jeffrey Canton, the Globe and Mail.
“This earthy, quirky, humorous version blends traditional folktale elements with the contemporary spin of a strong female heroine who lives happily-ever-after with the princess in a ‘s’blendid’ family.’ What begins as a single story evolves into stories within stories, pulled together in a surprising climax. ... A twisted tall tale told with verbal and visual bravado.” ~ Kirkus Reviews
