From Publishers Weekly
The grainy texture of acrylic on canvas lends an appropriately homespun feel to this telling of an Appalachian variant of Jack and the Giant Killer. When Jack and his ma are "down to nothing but a penny and a pot," Jack sets off to seek his fortune (or at least "a job of work"). Attacked by a swarm of yellow jackets, Jack whacks them with his cap, on which he boastfully records the results: "Fearless Jack Killed Ten at a Whack." Of course, his claim is misconstrued, and he soon finds himself hired by the sheriff to rid a nearby town of some wild varmints for "a hundred dollars cash money." Through a combination of luck and cleverness, Jack outwits first a wild boar, then a grizzly and, finally, a unicorn, which the sheriff swears "has gored about a hundred cows and nearly that many sheep and two or three old ladies to boot." Johnson's (The Cow Who Wouldn't Come Down) folksy narrative style ("Jack lit out with the wild unicorn no more than a frog's hair behind") has almost as much color as the sun-dappled countryside evoked in his energetic paintings. Swiftly unfolding from a variety of perspectives, the action-packed scenes amplify the story's humor. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4-Much like the Grimms's tailor who kills "seven at one blow" in any number of retellings, Fearless Jack kills "ten at a whack." Yellow jackets, that is-that are helping themselves to his biscuit and sorghum. Jack (that rascal of beanstalk fame) and his mother are "down to nothing but a penny and a pot." So the lad sets out to find some work. With the message of his accomplishment painted on his hat, he comes to a town that has been victimized by any number of varmints. The skeptical sheriff offers him a big "ree-ward" for their capture. One at a time, through dumb luck, the wild boar, grizzly bear, and unicorn are trapped. Jack, by turns appearing frantic and fearless, collects increasing amounts of cash and is ready to return home when the sheriff mentions the giants on the other side of the mountain-. Johnson's retelling, inspired by Richard Chase's The Jack Tales (Houghton, 1943), is entertaining in word and picture. The Appalachian mountain dialect, which begs to be read aloud, provides a lot of flavor; the acrylic-on-canvas paintings convey perfectly the "rough around the edges" spirit of the tall tale. Closer inspection reveals the impressionistic layering of strokes and dabs of color, a style that infuses each scene with vitality and warmth. Some readers will want to find a message here; others will merely revel in the fun.
Wendy Lukehart, Harrisburg School District, PA Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
