Giant Pants

This single-gag tale stars Belbum, a medieval giant who “was good at stomping, napping, and losing things.” One morning, the redheaded, googly-eyed man looks down at his polka-dot boxer shorts and bare legs, realizing that he has lost his only pair of pants. After searching his house in vain (even inside the teapot), the increasingly agitated giant seeks help from friends (a Cyclops, a gnome, and a unicorn), but the alternative clothing options they offer don’t fit the bill—or Belbum. Embarrassed, he skulks into town and asks the tailor to make him new trousers (plaid ones), as well as a few extra pairs to give his friends for safekeeping. Illustrating in bold and brassy digital cartoons, Fearing (The Great Thanksgiving Escape) gives readers lots to laugh about, including Belbum’s friends’ unhelpful suggestions (“I don’t wear pants. You could try that,” offers Lucy the unicorn), the ways those friends make use of his spare pants (the gnomes turn them into a canopy for a picnic spot), and the contrast between the giant’s crankiness and sheepishness. Ages 3–7. Agent: Sean McCarthy, Sean McCarthy Literary. (Oct.)