AKA the Iron Giant in the USA...

This book was an extremely popular story when I was in primary school and I was with the majority in liking it a lot. Nearly four decades on I can't quite figure out the appeal, besides the outlandish nature of the protagonist and antagonist and their unusual contest.

Now it seems obviously to be a serial bed-time story Hughes made up for his kids and then wrote down for publication, much as Ffangs the Vampire Bat and the Kiss of Truth is, but with at least a proper ending rather than just an abrupt halt.

I'm gonna guess that young enough kids still like it, though.