Big George

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

What has green skin, stands 40 feet tall, and goes
“Qqqwwwallopmid!”? It is Big George, a four-story visitor from outer
space who has a little problem. He is lost—very lost. George has
landed in Merry Olde England in the year 1103 after travelling trillions
of miles to find out if there is life on Earth. Unfortunately,
George’s space ship crashed in a forest and Big George woke up with
amnesia.

Unable to remember why he is in this strange place, Big George is
frightened and lonely. He runs through the forest until he encounters
Tilly, a Saxon maid. Tilly has a few problems of her own. Her father is
greedy, and for the love of money he has betrothed poor Tilly to Bones
Lousewort, the ugly bad-breathed son of a nobleman. Tilly really loves
Simpkin Sampkins, a local lad who mistook Big George for a man-eating
tree. Sent to Earth on a mission of peace, George suddenly finds himself
embroiled in a domestic dispute between a greedy Saxon miller, a
lovesick poacher, and nasty Norman strongman named Baron Lousewort.

This chapter book by Eric Pringle combines accurate historical detail
with science fiction and rapid-fire off-the-wall humor. Like the prose,
Colin Paine’s black-ink illustrations are both historically accurate,
yet delightfully wacky. Highly recommended.