An Iron Giant suddenly appears from nowhere. He is taller than a house, with feet that are each as big as a bed. He stalks the earth, devouring tractors and barbed wire, terrifying farmers and townspeople everywhere. Despite his insatiable hunger for metal, the Iron Giant is quite gentle and good-natured, though the townspeople are too frightened of him to realize it. So they capture him and put him in a scrapyard, where he happily stuffs himself with stoves and bicycles. The people forget about the Iron Giant until a big shadow blocks out the sun. A giant space-bat the size of Australia is hovering over the earth, ready to destroy it. The earth needs a hero. But who - or what - is big enough and do battle with the hideous creature from outer space? | The Iron Giant by Ted Hughes, Reinforced Library Binding | Indigo Chapters