Iron Giant - Hardcover

A huge, mysterious iron man stands at the top of a cliff, surveying the ocean. His eyes glow white, red, infrared. Then, he lifts one enormous foot and steps out into nothingness. Crraaasssssh! His head, arms, legs, ears, hands all break off as he tumbles onto the rocks below. The end of the story? No, it's only the beginning of this modern parable of peace in the universe. The Iron Giant has an insatiable appetite for barbed wire, tractors, and rusty chains. While farmers and townspeople run around trying to stop him, destroy him, capture him, only one boy understands what must be done. Meanwhile, an even bigger threat hovers over the land, in the shape of an evil-looking space-bat-angel-dragon. How will the people of the world survive the impending doom?

Ted Hughes, poet laureate of England, first wrote this compelling tall tale in 1968. Clearly, the need for its message of peace has not diminished in the decades since. Simple, repetitive sentences carry the mesmerizing spirit of traditional fairy tales. And Andrew Davidson's black-and-white illustrations, with their menacing air and timeless appeal, drive the point home in vivid style. (Ages 8 and older) --Emilie Coulter

"A tall-tale hero in a parable for today. The author's intensely felt theme and his invention of dramatic details make this brief piece of fiction high-spirited and entertaining."--The Horn Book

"A clever, inventive fantasy of timely appeal to children."--Booklist

"Written with such great gusto, with such vivid precision, that children will sit spellbound in their ringside seats."--Publishers Weekly

"A great book to start up a family reading tradition. Irresistible."--Boston Phoenix

"Reckoned one of the greatest of modern fairy tales."--The Observer (England)

"A thrilling and unforgettable tale, magnificently told."--Trade News (England)

"Hughes has never written more compellingly...with linguistic tact and imaginative power to achieve something of possible enduring consequence."--The Times (England)

"Riveting."--The Tablet (England)

"Brilliant."--The Listener (England)