Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Girl power aplenty in lively, stereotype-busting sequel.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Mihi Whan Park and her friends Reese and Savannah have A GIANT PROBLEM when they return to the fairy-tale world and discover that a year's gone by and things haven't changed for the better. True, the former Sleeping Beauty, who now goes by Pat, has escaped marrying any princes and is doing her best to rule her kingdom -- but everybody's suffering, because the giant (of Jack and the Beanstalk fame) has figured out a way to take all the rain for himself, so the crops are dying and the giant just tells them to work harder. Also, Mihi's former friend Genevieve, the one who told her she wasn't princess material because she wasn't blonde and pretty, is also there before them, and in a whole lot of trouble. Soon Mihi, Reese, and Savannah are heading into unknown danger and in for a few surprises as they climb up the beanstalk hoping to rescue the ungrateful Genevieve and get the rain back.
Is It Any Good?
Mihi, Reese, and Savannah's second lively, realm-saving adventure finds them climbing the beanstalk to match wits with a greedy, rain-stealing villain and rescue his latest victim, who's not grateful. It's A Giant Problem, but after they've survived the challenges of Book 1, their strong, tested friendship and teamwork definitely work in their favor. Tae Keller packs in plenty of relatable moments of self-doubt, feeling overwhelmed, being really scared, longing for home, and finding the inner strength and outside support to deal with it all. Strong messages of stereotype-busting, not letting other people's expectations define you, being yourself -- and how being fearless isn't worth much if you aren't also kind. Also, that eye-rolling moment when the person you're trying to save is holding out for a more glamorous rescuer, and what to do about it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stories like A Giant Problem that deal with stereotypes, how people are expected to live up to them, and how it might be possible to escape all that. What other stories do you know that talk about this? Do you have any favorites?
Have you ever felt like you were trying really hard and doing everything right, and it didn't even matter because something else was going on? What happened, and how did you deal with it?
Several of the characters in A Giant Problem act like people other than themselves aren't really real -- and sometimes even say so. Do you know anybody like that? Are they part of your life?
How do the characters show empathy in this story? Why is empathy important? When has someone showed you empathy? How did it make you feel?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Geraldine RodrÃguez
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic , Fairy Tales ) , Adventures , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Empathy , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Henry Holt & Company, Inc.
- Publication date : May 16, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 208
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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