The Smelly Giant

In this picture book, gentle, clever Toe Jam grows to be huge, and this causes a problem in his community because his feet smell. The bigger he gets the worse the smell. While Toe Jam helps others and wants to be part of his village, everybody teases him and avoids him, and Toe Jam becomes very lonely.

Finally, the people make him leave and live far away. Toe Jam never loses his kind heart, and when there are floods, wild winds and droughts, he returns to help his people. But each time, the people take his help then send him away again. Until, one day, when Toe Jam saves the people from an eruption, they finally understand their behaviour and see Toe Jam’s goodness.

This book is also available as a Māori-language edition, Tio Tiamu.