The Selfish Giant

Published in 1984

"Then the Spring came, and all over the country there were little blossoms and little birds. Only in the garden of the Selfish Giant it was still winter. The birds did not care to sing in it as there were no children, and the trees forgot to blossom. The only people who were pleased with it were the Snow and the Frost. "Spring has forgotten his garden," they cried, "so we will live here all the year around." The Snow covered up the grass with her great white cloak, and the Frost painted all the trees silver. They invited the North Wind and the Hail to stay with them, too.

"I cannot understand why the Spring is so late in coming," said the Selfish Giant. "I hope there will be a change in the weather."

But the Spring never came, nor the Summer nor Autumn."

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Oscar Wilde

Wilde (1854 - 1900) was an Irish poet, a playwright, served as an editor of Woman's World and wrote children's fairy tales. The Picture of Dorian Gray is his one novel. Wilde served two years of hard labor at Reading Gaol and his final work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol, is a plea for reform of the inhumane prison conditions he experienced first-hand.

More than 125 years later Wilde's play, The Importance of Being Ernest continues to be produced or filmed and artists continue to illustrate his fairy tales.

Lisbeth Zwerger

Zwerger (1954 - ) is an Austrian children's books illustrator who was awarded the International Hans Christian Andersen Medal, the highest recognition for work in children's literature. She has illustrated new editions of stories by the Brothers Grimm, Andersen, Charles Dickens, Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll and has worked with contemporary authors such as J.K.Rowling.

Zwerger acknowledges her work is influenced by the 19th century artist Arthur Rackham.

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Book Synopsis

It's a beautiful garden which is enjoyed by all of the village children. Until the Giant returns from his travels and selfishly builds a wall around the garden to keep the children out. To keep the garden for himself.

Spring bypasses the Giant's garden leaving Winter with Snow and Frost to set up a permanent residence. Not until the children return to the garden does spring reappear. The children's presence fills the Giant with joy followed by remorse over his selfishness. He then acts to help one child climb a tree and destroys the wall to open the garden to all of the children.

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Picture book, early chapter book readers, 32 pages. This is the classic story of the Giant whose selfish ways are changed by a tiny child.

Learning Options

Family Read Aloud Time
There are many versions of Wilde's The Selfish Giant but here Zwerger's illustrations set a beautiful, calm  mood for sharing this sweet allegory about transformation and redemption though a single act of kindness.

Classroom Resource
A fairy tale unit without The Selfish Giant would be the poorer for it. While the story's resolution is one of a Christian redemption, the idea of remorse and restitution transcends any single faith tradition. This title could also be used successfully in a lesson about empathy in an emotional intelligence unit.
 
Learning at Home
The Selfish Giant is an excellent addition to learning about the use of winter imagery in figurative language. "White as snow." "A heart as cold as the North Wind." You get the idea -

• 4 Steps for Teaching Figurative Language, Upper Elementary Snapshots (this is designed for a classroom setting, but could be adapted for home learning)
• How to Teach Figurative Language, Love to Know

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