A little boy describes how his father seems to be “a giant” who towers above him. Larger than life, his father is tall enough for clouds to “sleep” on his “shoulders” (11) and for “birds” to nest “in his hair” (17). But as strong and invincible as his father appears, the boy can “beat” his father at “marbles” (21) and experiences him as a gentle protector. Their relative sizes are depicted in large format paintings in “paint and pastels,” in which the figure of the father, viewed from below, fills much of the page in comparison to his small son. hc

Originally published by Macmillan Children’s Books Great Britain, in 2004.