Jack and the Beanstalk (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Niamh Sharkey (Illustrator) "Jack knew better than to argue..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Oh, that interminable, lovable dunderhead Jack. With nothing left in the cupboard, his mother sends him out to sell the cow, and what does Jack return with? That's right. Six puny beans. Magic beans, according to the funny little man who made the trade with Jack. In a huff, Jack's mom tosses them out the window. The rest is history. A beanstalk grows to the sky; Jack climbs to the land of the clouds; a goose lays golden eggs; a giant rages, "Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum!"... you may know the story, but you've never seen a version like this before!

Professional storyteller Richard Walker retells the classic tale with an extra measure of nonsense and rakish humor, as when the bean barterer explains that although he knows the beans are magic, he's not quite sure what they do: he's lost the instructions for them. Award-winning illustrator Niamh Sharkey presents unique, quirky images of Jack and the rest of the gang that will quickly replace any traditional mental pictures readers may have been nursing until now. This creative team has laid a golden egg. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

Like Beneduce and Spirin in their adaptation of this staple (reviewed above), Walker (The Barefoot Book of Pirates) and Sharkey (The Gigantic Turnip) try to mediate its violence. But where Beneduce and Spirin lessen the impact of the violence by providing Jack with a motive, Walker and Sharkey soften the tale itself. The plot follows tradition; the big change comes in the giant's refrain, now "Fee, fi, fo, fum! I smell the blood of a stinky man!" The giant speaks these words just once, rather than in a terror-heightening sequence, and he certainly never threatens to grind Jack's bones to make his bread. Having removed much of the suspense, the text proceeds to a tepid conclusion in which Jack uses the stalk to catapult his foe "into space.... And, as far as I know, he's still there." Sharkey, working in semitransparent earth-tone oils, envisions the giant as a flat-headed Frankenstein with an oversize jaw and a serrated underbite, and Jack as an elfin type with an eggshell-white face and a cranberry-red jester's cap. It's a contemporary, puckish look, one that tells the audience not to take the story too seriously. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Barefoot Books (December 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1902283139
• ISBN-13: 978-1902283135
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #956,235 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A famliar tale modernized., January 17, 2000

By A Customer

Well, I've been telling my daughter and her friends about the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk for a while now...not really remembering how the tale goes and making things up as I went along. I saw a review in Newsweek that rated this particular version of the tale very highly. I purchased it and concur w/ Newsweek's review. It's a wonderful version of the classic story. My daughter loves it as well. We're starting a story time in our community and it's the first book I'm going to read to the kids...The modernized illustration gives the story life and keeps my 4 year old child interested until the next page. It's a great addition to your child's collection.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars witty and imaginative, July 29, 2001

By	S. Zorn (Hemet, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a witty and imaginative retelling of the classic story. We have owned this book for almost a year now, and among scores of other books, it continues to be the favorite among both my 1-1/2 year old and my 3 year old boys. It is exciting without being too frightening, and can be used as the basis for a lot of imaginative play.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great updated look for an old favorite, October 23, 2009

By	Christiana Guppy (Wilmington, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love Walker's modern retelling of the Jack tale, and I'm especially in love with Sharkey's bright, colorful, funky illustrations.