Jack's Tale [Library Binding]

Ellen Stoll Walsh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997 | Age Level: 5 and up

An author begins to write a fairy tale and finds that the main character, Jack, must be convinced to participate in the story and help rescue the princess.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2. Jack, a frog, tells the author, another frog, that he does not want to be in her fairy tale because it's dangerous. "Leave me out. Fairy tales aren't safe." Jack is easily swayed, however, with the promise of fame. The rest of the book is more about the process of a story than the "story" itself. When warned not to continue on because of the dangerous trolls lurking in the middle of the tale, Jack proclaims, "If I go back, my story will end at the beginning." Widely appealing collage illustrations set Walsh's work apart. The artist's easily recognizable art proves that less is more. The oddly bipedal amphibians are colorfully speckled and set against a stark white background. The result is a high-contrast, illustrative following of the text. All-in-all, this story-within-a-story remains a simple, comfortable tale in its familiarity and guarantees the book's conclusion, "And they all lived happily ever after." Purchase this title if your readers have enjoyed Walsh's earlier works.?Christy Norris, Valley Cottage Library, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Jack is a cut-paper frog, applied to the page, whom Walsh (Samantha, 1996, etc.) uses to explain the broadest elements of a fairy tale: the challenge, the mettle tested, the happily ever after. The story opens with a writer contemplating a fairy-tale project. There will be royalty involved, and trolls--and Jack. He balks: ``Leave me out. Fairy tales aren't safe--I saw those trolls.'' At the writer's coaxing, Jack reluctantly agrees to participate. Thus the tale unfolds. The princess is abducted by trolls, the king calls on Jack to save the fair maiden, the trolls fall to bickering and pose no problem, there's a rescue, and a return. Walsh cleverly unravels the mechanics of the tale as she merrily erects its structure, but that unraveling also defeats any possibility of tension or drama--the very stuff of fairy tales. The expressionless, unblinking, upright hero, his damsel, and their foes further drain the story of interest, past the intriguing opening. Pair this with real fairy tales at story hours, for children will love the idea of the protagonist being persuaded to take on his task, and will want to apply Jack's formula, not only to see when it ``works,'' but when it varies, as well. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Childrens Books (J) (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152003231
• ISBN-13: 978-0152003234
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,595,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

ELLEN STOLL WALSH is the author and illustrator of many award-winning early concept books for young children, including Mouse Paint, Mouse Count, and the Dot and Jabber trilogy. She lives near Rochester, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Book!, December 15, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Jack's Tale (Library Binding)

This is an extremely clever book that explains to the youngest audience how stories are written. With gentle humor in both the text and the illustrations, this book works both as a fairy tale and as an introduction to writing.