I was unable to download and read this book before it expired, so I'm unable to give an honest review of it.

Anna Swan was 7 feet 11.5 inches tall. Born and raised in Nova Scotia, she ended up moving to New York as part of Barnum’s collection of curiosities. This picture book offers details about her remarkable life.

Society has an unfortunate habit of undervaluing or exploiting people with atypical bodies, leading to things like freak shows. Renaud's presentation somewhat whitewashes Barnum, giving us his curiosities as a family who were given amazing opportunities. While this is true, we aren't really shown much of the negatives of being a circus freak, none of the exploitation. I enjoyed reading bout what appeared to be a largely positive experience of this young woman getting to see the world and making a place to fit her since the world would not adapt to her. This could spark some interesting conversations with young readers.

Anna Swan was never ordinary. From nearly the moment she was born, and throughout her life, she was a celebrity. Because she was tall. But not just tall, TALL. When she was 4, she was nearly 5 feet tall. Her full adult height was 7 feet, 11.5 inches. So you can imagine life might be difficult where everyone stares and points at you and where you never really (literally and figuratively) fit in. But Anna not only took it in stride, she refused to let it stamp out her dreams to travel and have adventures. So she capitalized on it by traveling to New York City to join P.T. Barnum's Gallery of Wonders! There, she met fellow extraordinary people, traveled the world, and even met the Queen of England!

The book tells Anna's unique story in the first person, which I haven't seen as much, and which I loved. The fabulous illustrations enhance her story perfectly. Also loved the backmatter, including actual photos of Anna and her (almost) equally tall husband. We were all impressed and inspired by this lovely book about Anna's life.

This is a great biography about a person I had never heard of before. And as coming from Ohio, where she is still popular, i think it is important for children to learn more about her. This book can help the child or person who feels that they don't fit in anywhere. And can also be good in teaching children about differences.

This was a respectful and well narrated biography of Anna Swan, a 19th century Canadian woman who measured 8 feet tall.

Born in 1846, she measured 5ft. 6in. when she was 6 and was later billed the Tallest Woman in The World. She wanted a life as tall as her, and this is exactly what she created for herself. She worked at the Gallery of Wonders in NYC from the age of 15, playing the piano, declaiming poetry and acting on plays. She traveled the world and befriend the Queen Victoria. She married her beloved husband and built a house just for their heights, before retiring in Seville, Ohio.

When I was small, I was already big news, Anna Swan tells readers in this picture book biography. When she was born in Nova Scotia in 1846, people for miles around chattered about her. They whispered over tea and gossiped across fences. Because even when she was small, Anna was TREMENDOUS. At four years old, she was higher than a rain barrel. At six, she was taller than her mother, and by ten she towered over her father. Anna grew up feeling like she poked and bulged and jutted out from all sorts of spaces, never quite fitting into her small country life. Then, at age seventeen, Anna moved to New York City to be part of P. T. Barnum's Gallery of Wonders - and her life changed forever. Anna Swan lived an inspiring life as big as she was, filled with fame, wealth, world travel and true love.

In this thoroughly researched picture book biography, Anne Renaud uses playful and rhythmic language and first-person storytelling to perfectly capture the essence of this unique woman's uplifting life. The detailed, folk art-inspired illustrations beautifully convey the story's time and place and sensitively portray Anna's growth. A great lead-in for classroom discussions about differences and inclusion, this book also offers an excellent character education lesson on perseverance. An author's note with photographs and more information about Anna's life make this a terrific choice for lessons on personal development or for social studies lessons on this period in history."

That cover alone is so adorable that I'd buy it even if it weren't for the historical aspect!

My review appears on Weekend Notes. Thanks to the publishers for sharing this title. It's inspiring.

This is a lovely picture book biography about an extraordinary person. My students are often fascinated with the Guinness World Records and the Ripley's Believe it or Not books. This is a look into the life of one of the worlds tallest women ever. It also shows how being so big at such a young age was not always easy, because of other people's actions. I like how Anna decides that she needs to live away from her family to have a life a big as she was. This is definitely a book that makes you wonder about what life is like for people who are different from everyone else.

Told in the first person, children are introduced to the amazingly tall Anna Shaw. Shaw’s height would reach over seven feet tall. She was recruited by Phineas Taylor Barnum to be included in his Gallery of Wonders museum in New York City. Anna would have good days and glum days. She eventually gets married to a man just as tall as her and settles down in Ohio.

This is a great book with great illustrations that is a helpful reminder to children and parents that no matter how tall or short you are, you are wonderfully made.

Read more at The Storybook Project: https://thesbproject.wordpress.com/2018/09/13/the-true-tale-of-a-giantess/

A really interesting story, especially after the success of The Greatest Showman. Anne Renaud tells the story of Anna Swan who grew to be nearly 8 feet tall. Life wasn't always easy for her, but she was loved. When she was around 17, PT Barnum discovered her and brought her into his "Gallery of Wonders." She wanted adventure and Barnum was able to give it to her. As the movie portrayed, she enjoyed being a part of this unusual family and performing. This was an interesting book that I could see a lot of children enjoying.

This book brought me down memory lane! Having been born in Nova Scotia, my extended family and I rented a cottage at the beach every summer, just minutes away from the Anna Swan museum in Tatamagouche.
This book was a great short version of Anna's life and though I knew most of the story, there was information I hadn't heard before. I would have loved to have heard even more about her life, but it is perfect for children. Just enough to keep their attention, and teach them about Anna's unique story.
The pictures were sweet and made it an even more attractive story to read.
*I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

Full of gorgeous illustrations, The True Tale of a Giantess by Anne Renaud & Marie Lafrance, tells the story of Anna Swan, one of the tallest women to live. Swan, upon reaching adulthood, stood over 8 ft tall. With a heart longer for adventure, Swan travelled to New York, joining PT Barnum’s museum and show. Over the years, Anna travelled often, meeting such illustrious personages as Queen Victoria herself. She even found a giant to marry, a man known as the Kentucky Mountain Giant. Sadly, Swan died relatively young from a heart attack, a result of her gigantism. Written in an engaging, and easy to read fashion, Anna’s story served an additional purpose. It is a tale of courage in the face of adversity and ridicule. It is the perfect lesson for children to be accepting of their differences, and those of others. Highly recommended! All of my cubs loved this book.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Kids Can Press for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is an interesting picture book about one of the "exhibits" of P.T. Barnum, Anna Swan. She was a real woman, and had a real life, and it is well laid out in this book, including a more detailed version, with photographs in the back.

Well written, simple language, told from the point of view on Anna.

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-836" src="http://www.reyes-sinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-05-at-9.04.30-PM.png" alt="giantess" /> 

    <img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-835" src="http://www.reyes-sinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-05-at-9.05.18-PM.png" alt="giantess" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-834" src="http://www.reyes-sinclair.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-05-at-9.05.32-PM.png" alt="giantess" />

Good book to show how people who were very different were viewed more than a 100 years ago, and how they were very much like us, even if they looked different.

THanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot! The beautiful folk art illustrations compliment the story and time period well and the text is simple and informative. I like the first person point of view, it felt personal and sincere and the author's note is just as fascinating. I also really like the subtle messages about acceptance, self-confidence and finding you place within the world. With the popularity of the Greatest Showman movie and soundtrack, I think this book would be a perfect biography for any library.

Thank you Netgalley and Kids Can Press for an advanced copy of this book.

“When I was small, I was already big news. From Pictou to Tatamagouche, people chattered about me.” Anna Swan was a large baby who grew into a huge child and an enormous adult. She grew taller than her mother, taller than her father, and finally at age 17 reached a height of 2.4 metres (almost 8 foot).

When a Museum owner named Phineas Taylor Barnum invited Anna to join his Gallery of Wonders in New York, she seized the opportunity to leave village life behind her and see the world. Anna never let her height get in her way, even meeting England’s Queen Victoria and eventually marrying a man almost as tall as herself.

This moving, heartfelt story is written in the first person and feels like it’s been narrated by Anna Swan herself, even though in reality she died 130 years ago this August. The courage that Anna shows in coping with ridicule, and her determination to overcome obstacles in order to live a life that is as large as herself are nothing short of inspirational.

The message of being different will strike a chord with many children who feel that they don’t fit in. This book shows that you can achieve anything if you set your mind to it and don’t let your differences hold you back.

The soft, friendly illustrations reveal many fascinating details about life in the 1800s and the differences between rural and urban Canada of that period.

In absolutely loved True Tale of a Giantess! The illustrations made it feel like I was in the time period that Anna was living and the text is simple, yet informative. This book will be a must for my K-4 library! With all the current ‘hype’ over Greatest Showman, this true story will make a perfect addition to any classroom, school or home library.

This is a wonderfully original picture book biography! The opening sentence is brilliant. I love that it is in first person. The art style compliments the story well. I'm so glad to see Anna Swan from the circus as the subject of a picture book biography. The circus was a part of life for many, many years. The author's note was tremendous. All in all - a winner!

Such an interesting tale. Anna was tall. Really tall. Early in life, and most of her life it was a burden, but she did many things, and had many adventures because of it. I enjoyed this look at a small relatively unknown historical figure and I think kids will as well. I love the addition of real pictures from Anna’s life at the end, plus a list of sources, so I might go look up more information.

The True Tale of a Giantess is the real story of Anna Swan, a woman that was born in the 1800s in Nova Scotia, and grew up to be extraordinarily tall. As people whispered and pointed about her, she decided to make the most of her situation. She was exhibited at county fairs who toured with P.T. Barnum, and eventually became an exhibit at his Gallery of Wonders Museum in New York.

This is not just a child's biography, but an overview of her life for anyone who feels different. Anna always felt that she did not fit in, but eventually found a place she felt comfortable. Anna's story is a story of all people who feel different, who feel that they don't fit in. It is inspiring and encouraging, and it shows us that being different is not necessarily a bad thing. There's a great list of references in the back for kids (or adults) who would like to learn more. The True Tale of a Giantess by Anne Renaud is a beautifully illustrated children's book that teaches us all, young and old, to feel better about the things that make us unique. A great addition to any school, public or classroom library.