Kids are never too young to learn about helping others—that when people are in need, the right thing to do is to step up.

When a boy named Oscar discovers a giant—a very hungry giant holding a sign that says "Food Please"—in his backyard, he knows he can’t turn his back on him.  Yet it's not easy feeding a hungry giant.  A whole pizza disappears in a single gulp.  Twelve blueberry muffins, 33 jars of peanut butter, 197 chocolate chip cookies—all just an appetizer.  So what is little Oscar to do?  Just how do you feed a hungry giant?  Keep reading to learn more!

In this warmly illustrated and interactive picture book, the reader gets to help Oscar feed the giant.  But despite Oscar’s best efforts, he cleaned out the fridge AND the pantry, the giant still remains hungry.  That's when mom comes to the rescue.  She has eight great recipes, including Mega-Pigs in Blanket, Jumbo Fries, The Biggest Burger in the World, Ginormous Blueberry Muffin.  Each serves one giant—or eight kids. Yes, the "feed a giant" recipes are included in the book, printed in a separate 8-page mini cookbook, and are ideal for a kid's party.

So how do you feed a hungry giant?  With giant food...and a giant heart.

Riley absolutely loved reading this book.  She was so involved in Oscar's problem with trying to feed the hungry giant and couldn't wait to read what was fed to the giant next.  This book is extremely interactive with many pop-up signs and fold-outs, including opening and closing doors too.  I thought the kid-friendly (and giant-friendly) recipes included were so cool, that we can't wait to try them out.  Here are two of the eight recipes you can look forward to in the How Do You Feed a Hungry Giant? children's book:

Pizza-Size Chocolate Chip Cookie

• Vegetable Oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 14-inch pizza pan with vegetable oil and set it aside.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together into a large mixing bowl.

3. In another mixing bowl, beat the butter, both sugars, and vanilla together until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Slowly add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, beating until well blended.

5. Stir in the chocolate and peanut butter chips.

6. Spread the dough in the prepared pizza pan, pulling it
and folding over the edges to make a rim.

7. Bake until lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

8. Let the cookie cool slightly and then cut it into wedges to serve.

Ginormous Blueberry Muffin

For the topping:

• Vegetable Oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into very small pieces, chilled
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar

For the muffin:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the pan
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ²/₃ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (thawed and drained if frozen)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with butter or vegetable oil, dust
it with flour, and tap out any excess flour. Set the pan aside.

2. Make the topping: Combine the cinnamon, butter, flour, and brown sugar in a small bowl, and stir together well with your fingers. Set it aside.

3. Make the muffin: Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl, and set it aside.

4. In a large mixing bowl, blend the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the milk and sour cream, and blend again.

5. One cup at a time, add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, stirring it in well.

6. Fold in the blueberries very gently, so they don’t break and turn everything blue.

7. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle the topping over the batter,
and bake until a knife inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

8. Let the muffin cool slightly in the pan, and then cut it into wedges to serve.

Question and Answer with How Do You Feed a Hungry Giant? author, Caitlin Friedman:

Q: What was the inspiration behind the story?

A: Well...I would have to say my kids. They were six when I wrote this story...the age of the priceless questions. You know what I’m talking about...do your toes ever stop growing? Why do chickens have wings if they don't fly?  I am sure that there was some Saturday morning that Declan (Oscar in the book) asked me how much food a giant would eat.

Q: How can parents use Hungry Giant to talk to their children about the importance of charity?

A: The story is about a little boy helping to feed a lonely, hungry giant he finds sitting in his backyard. Oscar has a big heart and so does his mother...and at no point are they scared by the giant’s size. I used this story and Oscar’s instinct to help to talk to my kids about the opportunities they have in their day to help those around them. I also talked to them about thinking a little bigger...yes, you can help the boy in your class pour his milk AND you can help a boy you have never met by donating a can of food. If you are lucky enough to have what you need then you have a responsibility to help those that don’t.

Q: In what ways can families incorporate philanthropy into their Thanksgiving traditions?

A: Take a moment to talk to your children about the issue of hunger, take a moment to teach your children to be grateful for the food in front of them and the family around them. If you are lucky enough to have what you need then you have a responsibility to help those that don’t. You could even have your children start their own food drive. Little kids LOVE looking through cabinets and finding things to donate. If they feel a part of it and like what they are doing is making a difference they will experience the joy of helping others.

Q: How can parents involve children while preparing these recipes?

A: None of the recipes are particularly difficult. If you have small children then pick the tasks that don’t require being near the stove or any sharp objects. Pouring flour, mixing ingredients, breaking eggs...are all great tasks for kids.

Q: Have you tested the recipes on your own children? Which dishes are their favorites?

A: I have to say that the giant chocolate chip cookie was a big hit. 1.) It’s tasty. 2.) It’s big.

Q: As a busy working parent, how do you maximize kitchen time with your children?

A: We try to find a task for the kids to take on during every meal. It could be something small like tossing the salad or something bigger, like rolling out dough. Believe me, our meals are nothing fancy during the week, but we do think it’s a nice thing to get the kids involved.

Disclosure: I received the How Do You Feed a Hungry Giant? Children's Book from Workman Publishing in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received. This product review is based on my own personal experiences with this item and is completely honest and objective.