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When Milky White stops giving milk, destitute Jack trades his beloved cow for some magic beans in this classic British fairy tale told by actor-comic Michael Palin. The
Monty Python veteran gives a predictably amusing reading of Eric Metaxas's words, most notably putting his famous falsetto to good use as Jack's widowed mother. But it is Edward Sorel's book illustrations of the saucer-eyed Jack, the slovenly ogre, and his extra-large wife combined with David A. Stewart's music that give this 25-minute story video its unique flavor. One thing parents who haven't heard the story since they became parents might want to remember: Jack does steal and, not only does he get away with it, he prospers, marries well, and lives "happily ever after." So much for old-fashioned values! For ages 3 and up.
--Kimberly Heinrichs
