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About The Book

From celebrated Coretta Scott King Award winner Ashley Bryan comes a lavishly rendered cautionary tale of fearlessness and many-headed monsters in this toe-tapping picture book.

There was a little boy who knew no fear...

Nope, no fear at all. Not even when his grandma warns him of the giants—the two-headed giant and his three-headed brother, that is. So one day, he slips away. He just takes off and leaves his grandma behind. After all, what does he care? He’s got his mangoes and the sunshine and his flute. And he isn’t scared one bit.

But our boy isn’t really bad, you know, just wild. And soon he misses his grandma. So he turns around, and runs right into—those monsters. He’s about to discover that he may indeed have something to fear…their terrible, horrible singing voices!

About The Author

Photo Credit:

Ashley Bryan (1923–2022) grew up to the sound of his mother singing from morning to night, and he shared the joy of song with children. A beloved illustrator, he was named a Newbery Honoree for his picture book, Freedom Over Me. He also received the Coretta Scott King—Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, was a May Hill Arbuthnot lecturer, a Coretta Scott King Award winner, and the recipient of countless other awards and recognitions. His books include Freedom Over Me; Sail Away; Beautiful Blackbird; Beat the Story-Drum, Pum Pum; Let It Shine; Ashley Bryan’s Book of Puppets; and What a Wonderful World. He lived in Islesford, one of the Cranberry Isles off the coast of Maine.

About The Illustrator

Photo Credit:

Ashley Bryan (1923–2022) grew up to the sound of his mother singing from morning to night, and he shared the joy of song with children. A beloved illustrator, he was named a Newbery Honoree for his picture book, Freedom Over Me. He also received the Coretta Scott King—Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, was a May Hill Arbuthnot lecturer, a Coretta Scott King Award winner, and the recipient of countless other awards and recognitions. His books include Freedom Over Me; Sail Away; Beautiful Blackbird; Beat the Story-Drum, Pum Pum; Let It Shine; Ashley Bryan’s Book of Puppets; and What a Wonderful World. He lived in Islesford, one of the Cranberry Isles off the coast of Maine.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (September 3, 2013)
  • Length: 40 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781442476585
  • Grades: P - 3
  • Ages: 4 - 8
  • Lexile ® AD570L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®

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Awards and Honors

  • NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
  • Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title
  • Irma S Black Semifinalist (Bank Street)

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High Resolution Images

More books from this author: Ashley Bryan