Attack of the Giant Baby!
David Lucas and Bruce Ingman
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Oh my goodness! A giant baby is at large in the kingdom and it’s in destructive mode. So says the royal messenger to the King and Queen at breakfast one morning. While her parents and the courtiers panic, the young Princess maintains, “He’s just a baby,” though her words go unheeded.

As the baby trashes trains, topples mountains, tramples forests, flattens buildings and people flee for their lives, the King calls in his advisors. The Princess tries again; still nobody listens and eventually the Airforce is sent for, but even then the baby is unstoppable.

“Let loose the Monster-sized Bear!’ orders the King and lo and behold …

However the cuddles are short-lived and again doom and gloom descend. Even in the face of the scariest thing his highness can call upon, the Giant Baby doesn’t flinch. Nor is it interested in the king’s riches.

Now it’s left to the Princess to face the ginormous babe. Can her gentle manner save the day?

David Lucas’s dramatic narrative and Bruce Ingman’s clever illustrations with their mix of almost childlike painting and black ink sketches, make a slightly silly, enormously enjoyable story demonstrating the importance of listening to children.

With its somewhat ambiguous ending, could there perhaps be a sequel in the offing?