The Mysterious Giant Barletta

A Blue Marlin Publications Review
An Italian Folktale Adapted and Illustrated By Tomie dePaola

Copyright 1984 by Tomie dePaola
A VOYAGER BOOK
HARCOURT BRACE & COMPANY
ISBN: 0-15-256347-4
All Ages

A gigantic statue of an unidentified young man sits in front of San Sepolcro Church in the Town of Barletta, in Southern Italy. The people of this town have always loved and told stories about this Mysterious Giant. One such story is how The Mysterious Giant saved the town of Barletta in the eleventh century.

DePaola's retelling of this story is authentic and rich in Italian flavor. The people of Barletta are peaceful, simple, spiritual, and artistic, which makes the story wonderfully inviting for our youngest listeners and readers. He gives his characters beautiful names (such as Zia Concetta) and often lets them speak in Italian, giving the listener a true sense of the folktale as it has been passed down from Italians to their Italian-American children and grandchildren.

We won't tell you how the Mysterious Giant actually saves the town, but we can tell you this. It's "un miracolo!"