The Stone Giant (Road to Reading) - Hardcover

Gr 1-3-In 1869, audiences flocked to see what was purported to be a petrified human giant, unearthed from a farm in Cardiff, NY. The "giant" was, in fact, a statue carved from gypsum, artificially weathered, and buried as part of a "get rich quick" scheme. So successful was the hoax that even circus impresario P. T. Barnum got into the act, making his own copy of the "giant" and claiming that it was the "real" Cardiff Giant. Finally, it was determined that both "giants" were fakes. The "stone giant" gradually faded into obscurity, but the original statue can still be found in a museum in Cooperstown, NY. This saga is dutifully related in short, mildly suspenseful segments for beginning chapter-book readers, with some difficult vocabulary (e.g., gypsum, quarry, fossil). Youngsters may find the shifting cast of characters and their travails confusing. The cover art and interior color illustrations are serviceable, but are far less effective at piquing interest than the four black-and-white historical photographs. This small slice of American history is tantalizing, but most noteworthy for the revelation that P. T. Barnum did not, as is widely believed, originate the phrase "there's a sucker born every minute." That distinction belongs to his rival, David Hannum.

Mary Ann Carcich, Mattituck-Laurel Public Library, Mattituck, NY

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