Lesley Conger, whose subsequent picture-book, Tops and Bottoms, is a retelling of a traditional Northamptonshire tale concerning a battle of wits between a goblin and a farmer, presents the stories of three giants, and of their pint-sized adversaries, in this brief thematic collection.

In The Giant and the Cobbler, the genesis of the Wrekin - a large hill near the town of Shrewsbury - is explained, as a terrible giant, determined to do something truly awful, sets out with a massive pile of earth, intending to use it to create a flood that will drown all of Shrewsbury. Fortunately, a skinny, weak, and cowardly cobbler, who, for all his flaws, is rather clever, and cares for his Shrewsbury customers, is able to trick the giant into depositing his load in a less harmful manner...

How Big-Mouth Wrestled the Giant tells the tale, not of the youngest, nor even of the eldest of three brothers, but (atypically, in folklore) of the middle brother, a braggart with a penchant for exaggeration. When Big-Mouth encounters the giant of Wrestling Wood one day, even his terror can't stop his mouth, and his incessant bragging eventually convinces his massive adversary that he is indestructible. Of course, bragging may have won Big-Mouth the day, but amusingly, it doesn't bring him any acclaim...

The third and final selection is The Brave Little Tailor, in which a tailor's actions, in fashioning for himself a belt with the motto "Seven At A Blow" upon it - indicating his slaughter of seven flies, when his strawberry-jam was disturbed - leads to unexpected consequences, when it is misunderstood by the king, who concludes that here is the very man to rid the kingdom of the two dangerous giants in the Northern Woods!

Engagingly told, and illustrated in a vintage style - the artwork here is done in black and white, with deep purple accents - Three Giant Stories is a fun little collection. I did wish that Conger had included some information as to her sources - the first selection is clearly English, and the third, German, but what about the second? I may have to track down Diane Goode's Book of Giants and Little People, which apparently also contains a retelling of this story, and see if she gives any further details. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, particularly those who enjoy tales of giants. ( )