Look Out, Jack! The Giant Is Back! [Hardcover]

Tom Birdseye (Author), Will Hillenbrand (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2001 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Taking up where "Jack and the Beanstalk" left off, the felled giant's big brother comes after Jack, but once again Jack's quick mind gets him out of trouble in the nick of time.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fee-fi-fo-fum, this post-fairy tale/tall tale is just humdrum. Birdseye (Airmail to the Moon) employs some awkward contrivances ("Jack and his mama... hopped on a boat to America") to move this Jack and the Beanstalk continuation to a colorful homey setting in North Carolina. The late giant's big brother shows up on U.S. shores, too, eager to retrieve the coins, harp and hen that lays golden eggs, which he believes are rightly his. Jack and his mother plan to outwit the giant using some good Southern cooking, though the mangy guy fights back in a goofy development involving smelly feet. Kids may love the raucous mountain phrases tossed around and the silly crescendo here, but Birdseye's forced story line and descriptions never really gel. Hillenbrand's (The Last Snake in Ireland) mixed media artwork (crayon, colored pencil, oil) on the other hand, soars. He captures the rambunctious nature of the author's premise, all the while depicting Jack as a sweet-faced kid with more than a few tricks up his sleeve. The details Jack's ramshackle home, the rolling mountains and a pair of putrid green giant feet (cracked toenails and all) supply the comedy. Ages 4-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Gr 1-4-In this rollicking sequel to "Jack and the Beanstalk," the giant is dead, but his big brother is out for revenge. The boy and his mother hightail it to the mountains of North Carolina and settle down. Mr. Giant ("twice the size of the little one, ten times as nasty, and as ugly as slug pie") doesn't let a little thing like distance get in his way. It's a close call but Jack takes command of the situation and the angry Mr. G. stomps so hard that the mountain falls in and swallows him up. Hillenbrand captures the spirit of the text with lively, humor-filled illustrations done in a variety of media including pencils, inks, tempera, crayons, and oils. "Wham blam hickity hack!"-readers will love this tale about Jack.

Janie Schomberg, Leal Elementary School, Urbana, IL

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; 1st edition (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823414507
• ISBN-13: 978-0823414505
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 10.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,180,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A FUN AND FANTASTIC TALE, August 19, 2001

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Look Out, Jack! The Giant Is Back! (Hardcover)

If you thought one of your favorite fables ended when Jack slew the giant and the huge oaf fell to the bottom of the bean stalk, best you think again. Thanks to the creative mind of Tom Birdseye brave little Jack has another giant to face.

Remember when Jack thought he had it made with the hen that laid golden eggs, the magic harp and the bag of coins? Well no such luck. The late giant has a brother, an even bigger brother, who is furious with Jack. So, Jack takes his mother, his loot and boards a ship for the U.S. of A.

He finds a pleasant farm in the mountains of North Carolina, believing the giant will never find him there. Not only that but Jack is now raising prize-winning roses. Ah, life is good until one temperature topping day in August. Why, it was so hot that Jack had to surround the hen with ice "to keep her from laying hard-boiled eggs instead of golden ones." Then, just as he was taking his ease and a big gulp of lemonade he heard a loud, threatening bellow - it was the giant!

Can Jack outsmart and outrun another giant?

Will Hillenbrand's marvelously warm and funny illustrations were created with a mix of media - wooden pencils, inks, egg tempera, colored pencils, oils. They're the perfect partner for this fun and fantastic tale.

Youngsters will enjoy this continuation of a favorite story, while adults will chuckle at Jack's antics.

- Gail Cooke