The Coming of the Iron Man

In ‘The Coming of the Iron Man’, the first three chapters of Ted Hughes’ much loved classic, ‘The Iron Man’ have been abridged for younger readers and brought to life by Mini Grey’s fabulous illustrations.

Having read ‘The Iron Man’ to many classes over the years, I know how much they enjoy the opening scene where the Iron Man appears for the first time, falls down the cliff and rebuilds himself before disappearing into the sea. The richness of the language with its use of onomatopoeia, personification and repetition make it a joy to read aloud and Mini Grey’s wonderful pictures bring the story vividly to life for readers young and old.

Many of the illustrations could be used to generate ideas about characters. The one of Hogarth waiting in the tree, for example, could be used as a place to pause and explore what he might be thinking at this point, children adding their thoughts on post-it notes. Children could explore their ideas about the appearance of the Iron Man, comparing their own thoughts to Mini Grey’s portrayal whilst looking at the text for any given details.

Through beautifully illustrating this classic story, Mini Grey has made ‘The Iron Man’ accessible to younger children, perhaps leading them to read the full story when they are older.

The Coming of the Iron Man

Ted Hughes, illustrated by Mini Grey

Faber ISBN: 978-0571382736

Publishing 14th August 2025