Gr 2-4-A series of tales about famous Jacks in fairy tales is woven together by Old Mother Greenwood and a girl named Jill who is looking for Jack. She carries a sack with objects that are supposed to help her find him. Old Mother Greenwood tells Jill, "they're all called Jack," and tries to help her sort out which Jack she is seeking: her son Jack, Uncle Jack, or Grandfather Jack. One by one the items in the sack lead to stories including "The King of the Herrings," "Daft Jack," "The Magic Castle and the Apples of Immortality," "Jack and the Golden Snuffbox," and "Jack and the Giant Killer." These folktales are aptly retold, fast paced, and just right for reading aloud or independently. The story of Jill and her quest serves as a clever thread weaving each of the stories together in a way that is accessible to a wide range of young readers.
Susan M. Moore, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
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From Booklist
Gr. 3-5. Doherty, with her masterly touch, has made one continuous story of the many Jacks we know: from Jack the Giant Killer to Jack and the Beanstalk to Lazy Jack. It all starts with a girl named Jill coming to the door of the cottage where Mother Greenwood lives. Jill is looking for Jack, but which one? Uncle Jack? Son Jack? Great-grandfather Jack? Jill carries a bag of story items: a ball, a herring skeleton, some beans; and as she offers them to Mother Greenwood, each elicits a Jack story. A cat with moon and star markings has a place in some of these stories, as does Jill herself. Children who recognize these tales will delight in their interweaving; children who don't can simply let the sparkling, silvery language transport them. GraceAnne DeCandido
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